YouTube testing a new AI-powered age verification system in the U.S.

YouTube will start testing a new age-verification system in the U.S. on Wednesday that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to distinguish between adults and minors, based on the videos they've been watching.

The tests will initially affect only a small portion of YouTube's audience in the U.S., but they are likely to become more widespread if the system performs as well at estimating viewers' ages here as it does in other parts of the world. The system will only function when viewers are logged into their accounts and will make age assessments regardless of the birth date entered during sign-up.

If the system flags a logged-in viewer as being under 18, YouTube will enforce the usual controls and restrictions that the site already uses to prevent minors from watching videos and engaging in other behaviors deemed inappropriate for that age.

The safeguards include reminders to take breaks from the screen, privacy warnings, and restrictions on video recommendations. YouTube, which Google has owned for nearly 20 years, also doesn't show ads tailored to individual tastes if a viewer is under 18.

If the system incorrectly identifies a viewer as a minor, the mistake can be corrected by providing YouTube with a government-issued ID, a credit card, or a selfie.

YouTube was one of the first platforms to offer experiences specifically for young people, and we're proud to again be at the forefront of introducing technology that allows us to deliver safety protections while preserving teen privacy," James Beser, the video service's director of product management, wrote in a blog post about the age-verification system.

People will still be able to watch YouTube videos without logging into an account, but doing so automatically blocks some content unless proof of age is provided.

Political pressure has been increasing on websites to improve age verification efforts to protect children from inappropriate content since late June, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law aimed at preventing minors from viewing pornography online.

While some services, like YouTube, are increasing their efforts to verify users' ages, others argue that the main responsibility should rest with the two main app stores operated by Apple and Google – a stance that those two tech giants have resisted.

Some digital rights groups, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy & Technology, have raised concerns that age verification could infringe on personal privacy and violate protections for free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.