Overview

• The limited rollout, launched on August 13, applies to a small group of logged-in U.S. users and infers age from viewing behavior, search history and account longevity.
• Accounts deemed under 18 are immediately placed under existing teen controls such as non-personalized ads, digital-wellbeing reminders, restricted recommendations and blocked age-restricted videos.
• Those incorrectly classified can appeal only by providing sensitive data—government ID, a selfie or a credit card—to restore full adult access, drawing scrutiny over biometric privacy.
• A Change.org petition opposing the system has garnered more than 75,000 signatures and some users have begun canceling YouTube Premium subscriptions in protest.
• Privacy advocates and academic studies warn that AI age-estimation tools can misclassify users and exhibit racial and gender biases, raising equity and regulatory concerns.