YouTube Now Guessing Your Age by What You Watch, Not What You Say

Imagine YouTube deciding your age not by the birthday you entered, but by the way you use platform. That’s what is exactly happening in the US. YouTube has announced that it is testing a new age verification model to determine if the user is below 18. The model age estimation model studies user behaviour- like longevity of the account and activity patterns to determine whether one is below 18 or not. 

In simple words, your watch history may become more important than the birthday you input years ago.

Why it matters 

This matters because even if you claim to be over 18, YouTube may count you as teen based on its AI based analysis.  And that changes your entire feed on the platform. It changes what you see, what you post and even changes how creators earn from your views. 

“If we determine that a user is under 18, standard protections for teen accounts on YouTube will automatically be enabled,” says YouTube. “We’ll then use that to extend age-appropriate product experiences and protections to more teens (like enabling digital wellbeing tools and only showing non-personalised ads),” it explains. 

How It Works

The age estimation algorithm considers a range of signals like YouTube behaviour and account longevity." If the system determines you're under the age of 18, you'll receive a notice. You'll have the ability to prove your age via a government ID, a selfie, or even a credit card if you believe YouTube made a mistake.

For teens flagged by the system, existing protections will be automatically enabled by the platform, which include steps like showing only non-personalised ads only, digital wellbeing tools on by default (like “take a break” and bedtime reminders), pivacy nudges when uploading or commenting publicly and reduced recommendations of content that may be harmful if consumed repeatedly. In addition to these, age-restricted videos remain off-limits unless you’re verified as 18+.

Impact on Creators

This change can have ripple effect on the creators. If YouTube determines more of their viewers are under 18, they might lose ad revenue because only non-personalised ads are permitted to show to teenagers.

“Some creators may experience a shift in their audience categorized as teens (under 18). This may result in a decrease in ad revenue since we only serve non-personalised ads to those viewers. We estimate this will have limited impact for most creators,” YouTube observed. 

A Broader Push

The company claims to have already piloted this model in the US, describing it as a central to the way YouTube protects our users. Millions of users in the US could find their internet experience quietly transformed by what an algorithm determines their actual age is.

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