YouTube Widely Pushes AI Age Verification, Sparking Privacy Concerns.

YouTube is aggressively expanding its AI-powered age verification system, which is now widely affecting users and raising significant privacy questions. The initiative, which began in August, has been ramped up considerably, with a wave of user reports since September 24 indicating that accounts are being flagged and restricted.

The new system, which moves beyond a user's self-declared birthday, employs machine-learning models to estimate a viewer's age based on a "variety of signals." These include a user's watch history, search history, and overall account longevity.

When a user is flagged as potentially being under 18, their account is automatically placed under "standard protections for teen accounts." This restricts them from watching age-gated videos, and their video recommendations are adjusted to minimize potentially problematic content.

The restrictions also include the automatic activation of digital well-being features like "take a break" reminders and the disabling of personalized ads. This shift to non-personalized ads could have a notable impact on creators, particularly those whose audience is predominantly teenagers.

To regain full access and remove the restrictions, users must verify their age through one of three methods: uploading a government-issued ID, a selfie, or a credit card. This requirement has triggered a backlash from users and privacy advocates concerned about the collection of sensitive personal data by Google.

YouTube's move is a response to increasing regulatory pressure, as lawmakers and watchdogs worldwide push for stronger online safety measures for minors. While the company says the new system is designed to protect teens, the aggressive rollout and the demand for personal data have created a new set of challenges for users and creators alike.