Google is testing a machine learning-powered tech in the U.S. to determine the age of users and filter content across all its products accordingly.
The company said it will consider data from Google accounts, including types of details users have searched for or categories of videos they have watched on YouTube, to determine the age. If the company’s tool decides that a user is under 18, they would get an email with details about how Google products might change for them.
For these users, Google will disable the timeline in Maps, stop personalized ads, restrict age-restricted ad categories, and bar them from accessing adult-themed apps on the Play Store. The company will also turn on digital well-being features on YouTube, such as break reminders and “go to bed” notifications when consuming videos late at night. Plus, it will prevent underage users from accessing certain kinds of content — such as content that could trigger body image issues — repeatedly.
If users think they have been tagged as an underage account by mistake, they can appeal the decision and prove their age using a photo of their government ID or a selfie.
Google rolled out similar measures for YouTube earlier this week, and now the company is experimenting with machine learning-based age gating in the U.S. for Google accounts at large. The company said that it has experimented with age-estimation tech in some markets (without specifying which ones), and it worked well.
“Age assurance helps us ensure that adults can access the information and services they need, while also applying the right protections for our younger users. Our approach to age assurance uses a combination of age estimation and, when necessary, age verification,” Google said in a post.
Other platforms, including Instagram and Roblox, have also started using AI to estimate the age of their users. Lawmakers have been at work to put in rules related to serving appropriate content to minors. In the U.S., several states have existing or proposed laws around age gating. Meanwhile, platforms have also started age verification in the U.K. following the passing of the Online Safety Act.
