YouTube Uses AI to Guess Your Age
Age verification on the internet used to be something of a joke. It all ran on an honor system, and few of us followed it. YouTube may be rated for ages 13 and up, but that won’t stop an 11-year-old from watching.
But that internet is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Depending on where you live, some sites and services verify the age of their users , mostly through mandatory identity verification. Now YouTube is getting in on the act, using artificial intelligence to determine your age.
How YouTube’s AI-powered Age Verification Works
In a blog post on Tuesday, YouTube announced that it would begin rolling out “machine learning” (read: artificial intelligence) to a small subset of users in the coming weeks, specifically to estimate their age. YouTube wants to determine whether a user is a teen or an adult. (Reminder: YouTube plans to limit its service to users ages 13 and up, and assumes that all users under that age are enrolled in YouTube Kids.)
The AI doesn’t necessarily take into account the age listed on an account, as YouTube suggests that some users may misrepresent their age. Instead, the new programs analyze habits associated with age groups. This includes factors such as the types of videos a user searches for, the style of videos they’ve watched, and the age of the account.
If YouTube’s AI determines that a user is an adult, they will be able to continue using YouTube as normal. However, if the AI determines that a user is a teenager, the site will apply “age-appropriate” protections. If the AI flags your account as a teenager, you can expect the following:
-
No more personalized ads : YouTube will still show you ads, but they won’t be targeted to you based on your ad profile, so you’ll be less likely to click on the ads.
-
Digital wellbeing tools : These include reminders to take a break from watching YouTube, analyzing the time spent watching videos, combining all YouTube notifications into one alert, and turning off notification sounds and vibrations.
-
Safeguards when making recommendations : On a teen account, you may find that some of your recommendations are limited, such as a limit on the number of views of a certain type of video.
What if YouTube’s AI gets your age wrong?
So, you’re 18 or older, but for some reason YouTube considers you a minor. In this case, the burden of proof of your age is not on YouTube, but on you .
According to a YouTube press release, adult users who were mistakenly classified as teens by YouTube’s AI can appeal, but only by presenting proof of identity, such as a government-issued ID or credit card. A YouTube spokesperson told ZDNet that selfies would also be acceptable evidence.
I’d be interested to know how many users have found themselves in a similar situation. AI isn’t magic, and in fact, it often makes mistakes . I’m sure many adults watch YouTube videos that the site associates with a younger audience, especially if those adults are only 18 or 19 years old.
YouTube is far from the only company implementing such age verification systems, especially with new laws passed by governments seeking to protect children online. It seems likely that in the next era of the internet, verifying your age and identity on the once free, open, and anonymous web will become the norm.