YouTube is set to implement artificial intelligence to estimate users' ages starting Wednesday. This initiative aims to restrict children's access to inappropriate content and enhance safety on the platform. However, some users are expressing concerns about privacy implications and the overall user experience.

The AI technology will assess whether a viewer is an adult or a minor based on their activity on the platform, rather than relying solely on the birthdate provided during account registration. Currently, the tool is being tested with a limited group of users in the United States, with plans for a broader rollout in the coming months.

If the AI identifies a user as a minor, YouTube will automatically enforce its existing safety measures for teenagers. These measures include limiting access to certain sensitive content, such as violent or sexually explicit videos. Users who are incorrectly classified as minors will need to submit a government-issued ID, credit card, or a selfie to verify their age.

Concerns have been raised by users about the potential for being misidentified by the AI. Privacy experts are also worried about the implications of requiring adults to provide sensitive personal information for age verification.

The AI age verification system will analyze various signals, including the types of videos a user searches for and watches, as well as the duration of their account activity. Users flagged as minors will be subject to YouTube's teen safety measures, which include content restrictions, adjusted recommendations, reminders to take breaks, and disabled personalized advertising.

This new system will only apply to logged-in users, meaning that young people could bypass some safety measures by accessing the site without an account. However, users who are not logged in will not be able to view age-restricted content.

YouTube's move comes amid increasing pressure on social media platforms to enhance age verification processes. Critics have pointed out that teens can easily bypass existing safeguards by providing false birthdates. This scrutiny has intensified from parents and lawmakers concerned about the impact of social media on children's safety and mental health.

Other platforms, such as Meta and TikTok, have also begun using AI to identify underage users. Meta announced plans to implement similar measures on Instagram, while TikTok employs technology to detect users under the minimum age of 13.

In addition, several online platforms, including Reddit and Discord, have started verifying user ages in response to new regulations under the UK’s Online Safety Act, which took effect last month.

YouTube has indicated that its AI age verification system has shown effectiveness in other countries prior to its U.S. launch. However, some users are voicing their discontent over the requirement to provide personal data, leading to discussions on social media platforms like X and Reddit under the hashtag #boycottyoutube.

Suzanne Bernstein, a lawyer with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, expressed concerns about the handling of sensitive data in the verification process. "Discomfort with certain appeals processes which require providing really sensitive personal information is totally understandable," she stated.

In response to these concerns, a YouTube spokesperson emphasized that Google employs advanced security measures to protect user data and allows users to manage their privacy settings, including the option to delete their data. The spokesperson also assured that YouTube will not use data from users' IDs or credit cards for advertising purposes.