New Delhi, July 30: YouTube is getting ready to roll out a new system that will quietly check if users might be under 18. The new approach may not ask for direct proof of age but instead rely on patterns to estimate if someone is a minor. The platform will soon begin to use AI-powered age estimation technology in the US to improve safety for younger users.

The upcoming system will track how users behave on YouTube. It will include what kind of videos they search for and watch. It may also look at how long an account has been active. By combining these signals, the platform’s AI tool will try to guess the user’s age. If a user is suspected to be underage, YouTube is said to automatically apply restrictions to their account. Google said, "Starting August 13, 2025, we’ll begin rolling out an age estimation model to determine if a US-based user is under the age of 18." NotebookLM Studio UI: Google Introduces New User Interface With Multi-Output and Audio Overview Features; Check Details.

Google has stated that it will begin checking user activity to identify if someone is under 18, no matter what birthdate was entered during sign-up. It will help to provide age-appropriate experiences for teens, like turning on digital wellbeing features and showing only non-personalised ads. The company added that these protections are not new, but improved technology now allows them to extend these safeguards to more teenagers with better accuracy.

How YouTube’s AI Age Detection Will Work and What It Means for Viewers and Creators

Google explained that its new age estimation system will look at several factors, like how someone uses YouTube and how long their account has been active. If the system believes a user is under 18, they will be notified. Users can still verify their age using a government ID, selfie, or credit card if they think the system got it wrong.

If someone is identified as under 18, YouTube will automatically switch on protections meant for teen users. These are the same settings given to those who enter their real age at sign-up. It includes turning on features like break and bedtime reminders, adding privacy alerts when commenting or uploading, and reducing recommendations for videos that could be unhealthy if watched repeatedly. Google Veo 3, Google Veo 3 Fast Now Generally Available on Vertex AI Following Increased Usage on Platform Since June Launch.

Google noted that creators may see some changes as the age estimation model rolls out. If a user is flagged as under 18, YouTube will apply protections, which will include setting uploads to private by default to restrict gifts on vertical live streams. In a post, Google, said, "Some creators may experience a shift in their audience categorized as teens (under 18). This may result in a decrease in ad revenue since we only serve non-personalized ads to those viewers." However, Google believes the overall impact will be minimal for most channels.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2025 02:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).