Google will soon use machine learning to determine the age of its users. In an update published on Wednesday, Google said it is testing a machine learning model in the United States that will help determine whether a person is under 18, allowing it to “provide more age-appropriate experiences” on its platforms.
YouTube CEO Neil Mohan first announced these changes in an annual letter published on Tuesday. The age estimation model will use existing data about users, including the sites they visit, the videos they watch on YouTube, and how long they have had an account, to determine their age. When Google detects that a user may be under 18, it will notify them to change some of their settings and offer information on how they can verify their age with a selfie, credit card, or government ID.
Google will apply existing security features to accounts of minors, including the SafeSearch filter, which helps remove explicit content from search results. It will also restrict content on YouTube that may be inappropriate for users under the age of 18. Google plans to roll out its age detection technology in “more countries” over time.
These changes are likely a response to the increased focus on child online safety in the United States. In addition to the Children’s Online Safety Act (KOSA) and COPPA 2.0, tech giants are competing with the Kids Online Social Media Act (KOSMA), which aims to prevent children under 13 from accessing social media. KOSMA requires online platforms to guess the age of users, although this form of age verification is not always accurate.
Meta has also started using artificial intelligence to look for “signals” that a user may be under 18.
Next week, Google will allow parents to limit calls and message notifications on their child’s phone and tablet while they are at school, a move the company first announced last year. Starting next month, parents will be able to add contacts to their child’s phone through the Family Link app, limiting phone calls and messages to those numbers only. In addition, Google says it will soon allow parents to add and manage payment cards in their child’s Google Wallet.
The company plans to provide teenagers with access to its NotebookLM AI note-taking app and Learn About educational AI tool.
