In the US, Google is beginning to use an age estimation model to detect whether Account users are under or over 18.
Google is looking at a “variety of signals already associated with a user’s account” to determine their age, regardless of the user-provided birthday. This includes the “types of information a user has searched for or the categories of videos they’ve watched on YouTube.” Another signal is the longevity of the account.
If the machine learning-powered model estimates a user is under 18, existing protections will be enabled across various Google apps and services:
- Turning on YouTube Digital Wellbeing tools like reminders to take a break and go to bed, and adding safeguards to content recommendations, including limiting repetitive views of some kinds of content.
- Disabling Timeline in Maps.
- Disabling personalized advertising and restricting age-sensitive ad categories.
- Prevent users we recognize as minors from accessing apps restricted to adults on Google Play.
The user will receive an email notifying them of these changes. If the model made a mistake, adults have a number of options to verify their age. This includes using a government ID, digital ID, phone number lookup, credit card, or selfie (which is processed on-device).
Google is already using age estimation in other countries and says it has “worked well.” Parents that let children use their accounts are encouraged to create a separate profile, and utilize account switching features.
On the privacy front, Google says its approach “does not involve collecting additional data or sharing granular user information with all apps and websites.”
Age estimation in the US will begin rolling out “over the next few weeks” for a “small set of users.” This was first telegraphed back in February. Google will monitor this before a wider rollout.
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