YouTube brings AI-powered age estimates, allowing features to protect teens

YouTube is rolling out new features for US users who rely on machine learning to estimate their age without providing personal information. The Alphabet-owned company says it brings the same technology used in other regions to display content suitable for younger users on the platform, disabling features such as personalized ads. This feature is designed to work even when younger users are offering false birthdays to bypass the platform's age-based protection.

YouTube limits recommendations after identifying teenagers

In a blog post detailing the features deployed in “a set of small US users,” the company states that the age estimation feature is designed to infer the age of YouTube users. It relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and users do not need to share private details as the platform uses signals to estimate their age.

When YouTube identifies the accounts teenagers are using, it automatically turns on the digital well-being feature on the platform, designed to prevent excessive use. It also reduces the “repetitive view” of content related to weight and physical appearance, and YouTube prevents any kind of video from appearing in the recommendations. Personalized ads will also be disabled on teenager accounts.

The AI-powered system can make mistakes while classifying accounts based on signals, and YouTube says it offers users a way to verify their age. Adults who are mistakenly identified as teens can provide the platform with government ID cards or credit cards to reclassify their accounts as adults. Once resolved, YouTube will again allow access to restricted and short videos.

New Age's estimation capabilities come months after YouTube CEO Neal Mohan first announced the feature to users in February. The company's previous efforts to limit the content available to younger users include monitored accounts and content restrictions that were deployed in September 2024. YouTube says it will roll out the same feature in other markets in the future.