YouTube Will Begin Using AI for Age Verification Across the US

YouTube will implement AI-powered age-estimation technology across the US to identify teen users and ensure an age-appropriate experience, the company announced on July 29. This technology would help it detect if a user is underage, regardless of what they stated as their birth date at the time of registration.

If the video-sharing platform identifies a user as a teen, it will implement protections already in place for accounts of users who have already self-identified as underage. This includes blocking age-restricted videos, removing non-personalized ads, adding “take a break” notifications, and limiting video recommendations about sensitive topics.

“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. This will happen regardless of the birthdate you entered when creating your account. We’ll then use that to extend age-appropriate product experiences and protections to more teens,” reads an official blog post by the company.

Though the company hasn’t revealed the exact factors it will take into account to determine whether a user is underage, researchers are confident that these measures will include tracking user patterns and monitoring account history, among others.

According to the company, if the system mistakenly flags an adult, they can appeal by sharing official identification documents, credit card information, or through “selfie scan,” where a user takes a selfie and AI scans their facial features to estimate their age.

YouTube also addressed how these new measures might impact content creators. “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. We estimate this will have limited impact for most creators.”

This latest development comes as both social media companies and governments worldwide move to implement stricter age-verification tools and protections for children on the internet. In March, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office launched an investigation into social media platforms like TikTok, Imgur, and Reddit over their handling of personal information from underage users.