YouTube starts using AI to keep kids from viewing 18+ content

If the machine learning estimator thinks your underage YouTube will start asking for ID

Rowan Dunne

Published

22 hours ago

The world’s most well-known video sharing platform will soon be using artificial intelligence to keep youngsters from viewing age-sensitive content.

YouTube announced the upcoming United States debut date of its machine learning age estimation tool on Jul. 29. It will start assessing users on Aug. 13. The decision to implement this measure was initially revealed in February.

Regardless of the number a person entered when they set up their account, they will be required to validate their age with a credit card, selfie or ID to view sensitive material if AI determines that they didn’t tell the truth.

The varieties of videos an individual watches and what they search for will be key factors used to assess their age. YouTube will disable personalized advertising, activate digital well-being tools and implement other safeguards if it detects any red flags.

“We now have enhanced technology to more accurately determine whether or not a user is under 18 and are now able to extend these protections to more teenagers,” said a YouTube representative in a blog post.

The news comes only days after Australia’s government agreed to ban YouTube for citizens under the age of 16, thereby going back on previous statements officials made saying that it would be exempt from state social media prohibitions.

This measure will come into effect in December as part of a broader push to limit youth exposure to inappropriate content online. The state’s internet regulator, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, cited a survey that found 37 per cent of minors reported harmful content on YouTube to back the decision.

YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet Inc Class A (NASDAQ: GOOGL), is adamantly opposed to the move and has been lobbying against it for months. Efforts to promote its exemption from the social media ban have included billboards and newspaper ads advocating for its educational value among teenagers.