YouTube verifies the age of its users with the IA, if the algorithm notes that those who are logged in it could be less than 18 years old, the filters are triggered.
YouTube has started the experimentation of an age verification system based on artificial intelligence in the United States, with the aim of distinguishing between adults and minors by analyzing the vision habits and not the only date of birth declared at the time of registration. The technology, developed internally, takes into consideration recurring patterns in the views, crossing them with predictive models already tested in other countries.
If the algorithm notes that a logged user could be less than 18 years old, they automatically start the filters already expected: limitations on content, privacy notices, reminder for making breaks and profiling prohibition (in order to avoid personalized advertising). To contest a classification error, it will be possible to confirm your age by loading an identity document, providing the data of a credit card or by sending a selfie, in a process that YouTube ensures to be safe and compliant with the data protection rules.
How it works. The system is activated only for those who access with an account, analyzing the type of video watched, the frequency of viewing and the time spent on certain content to deduce the presumed age. It does not affect streaming without login, but in that case some sensitive content remain blocked until manual verification.
In this first phase, the test is involving a reduced percentage of US users, with the possibility of expansion if the services prove to be reliable as in the experiments already conducted in Europe and Asia. The platform, controlled by Google, underlines that the IA does not replace the other forms of control but integrates them, with the aim of maintaining a safe experience for minors without excessively sacrificed freedom of use.
Legal pressures. The move arrives in a context of growing political and regulatory pressure. At the end of June, the US Supreme Court confirmed a Texas law to prevent minors from accessing online pornography, opening the way to possible similar measures in other states. Legislators and groups for digital security have long been asking the platforms to verify the age of users in a more rigorous way, especially in the services with videos, chats and content generated by users.
Not everyone, however, agree on who should take responsibility: some companies claim that the burden should fall on Apple and Google’s App Stores, considered the main access point, but both technological giants have so far resisted, raising doubts about the feasibility and respect for privacy.
Privacy issues. Always in the United States, organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for Democracy & Technology They warned on the risks of surveillance and the possible violation of freedom of expression. The use of the AI to profile users based on the contents displayed raises questions about transparency and duration of data storage, as well as on the risk that the platform commit errors.
Experts remember that an incorrect labeling could have concrete repercussions, excluding an adult from legitimate content or, on the contrary, letting inappropriate material pass for a minor. The challenge for YouTube will be to find a balance between the protection of the youngest and respect for individual privacy, in an era in which users’ trust is also played on how such sensitive information is managed.
