YouTube has started the rollout of what it calls an "age estimation model." This is meant to determine if a user based in the United States is the age of 18.

According to YouTube, this will take place regardless of the birthdate entered by the user when making an account,

Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), this estimation model has been put in place to protect teens using the platform.

How Will YouTube's Age Estimation Model Work?

According to YouTube, it will use certain signals to determine the age of a user. Some of the signals include the longevity of the account and the user's activity.

Should the model determine that the user is under the age of 18, the user will receive a notification.

Users will have the option to verify their age through government ID, selfie, or a credit card if the model makes an incorrect assumption.

What Will Happen If a User is Under 18?

Should YouTube determine that a user is, in fact, under the age of 18, standard protections for teen accounts will be automatically enabled.

These include the showing of non-personalized ads and the enabling of digital wellbeing tools, including the "take a break" feature by default.

For creators, additional protections will be put in place, such as the setting of uploads as private by default for anyone. The ability to earn from gifts on vertical live streams will likewise be restricted.