The social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google recently announced on its Official Blog that it will soon begin rolling out technology to distinguish between young viewers and adults.
Initially, YouTube will monitor a small group of users in the United States to estimate their ages before expanding the approach more broadly.
According to YouTube, this method has been effective in other markets for some time.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will analyze various signals to help determine whether a user is under 18 or over 18.
These signals include the types of videos a user searches for, the categories of videos they have watched, and the longevity of their accounts.
If the system identifies a user as a teenager, it will implement age-appropriate protections, such as disabling personalized advertising, activating digital wellbeing tools, and limiting repetitive views of certain types of content.
However, if the system mistakenly identifies a user as under 18, YouTube provides an option for users to verify their age by using a credit card or a government-issued ID.
Critics have raised privacy concerns regarding the new AI age estimation feature in the U.S., specifically about potential data breaches and the indefinite storage of user information.