Key points
- System checks activity, not birthdate, to verify age
- Minors face content restrictions
- Adults must verify if flagged
ISLAMABAD: YouTube will start using artificial intelligence on Wednesday to estimate users’ ages, aiming to stop children from accessing inappropriate content.
This move is part of a wider effort to make social media safer for young people, though some users have expressed concerns about privacy and how it may affect their experience, according to CNN.
If you have the YouTube viewing habits of a teenager — Watch out. The platform is rolling out an AI-assisted age verification as it cracks down on young users who lie about their age. https://t.co/ea9rEzjtVM pic.twitter.com/cTh2qJvOWo
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) August 12, 2025
The AI system assesses whether a viewer is an adult or minor based on their activity on the platform, rather than the birthdate they provided when signing up. Currently, this tool is being tested with a limited number of users in the US, but it will be rolled out more broadly in the coming months.
If identified as a minor, users will automatically have YouTube’s teen safety settings applied.
Verifying age
These include restrictions on violent or sexually suggestive content, adjusted recommendations, “take a break” reminders, and disabled personalised ads. Adults wrongly flagged as minors will need to verify their age using a government ID, credit card, or selfie.
The AI looks at signals such as the types of videos watched, search history, and account age to decide if a user is under 18. The system only works for logged-in users, so minors could bypass restrictions by browsing without an account, though age-restricted content remains inaccessible to signed-out users.
Tightening age verification
YouTube and other platforms are tightening age verification amid criticism that teens can bypass safeguards by lying about their age.
Instagram and TikTok have introduced similar AI measures, and UK rules under the Online Safety Act have prompted sites like Reddit and Discord to verify users’ ages.
However, some users fear handing over sensitive data to prove their age if wrongly flagged.
Privacy experts have also raised concerns about data security. YouTube assures users that data protection is a priority and that identification details will not be used for advertising.
