Google is piloting a new machine learning system in the U.S. to estimate users’ ages and adjust content and features accordingly across its ecosystem.
The technology analyzes signals from users’ Google accounts, such as their search activity and the types of YouTube videos they watch, to assess their likely age. If a user is identified as being under 18, they will receive an email outlining how their experience across Google services will change.
For these underage users, Google will implement several safety measures. These include disabling location history in Google Maps, blocking personalized advertising, restricting access to age-sensitive ad categories, and limiting entry to adult-oriented apps on the Play Store. On YouTube, digital well-being tools — like reminders to take breaks and bedtime prompts — will be automatically enabled. The platform will also curb repeated exposure to potentially harmful content, including videos that could affect body image.
Users who believe they’ve been misclassified as minors can dispute the assessment by verifying their age with a government-issued ID or a selfie.
This broader rollout follows recent updates applied to YouTube and builds on earlier experiments with AI-based age estimation in unspecified regions, which Google says yielded positive results.
The company emphasized that this effort is part of a larger strategy to balance user access with safety: “Our approach to age assurance combines estimation with verification when needed, helping us provide appropriate protections for younger users while ensuring adults can access the services they need.”
Other major platforms, such as Instagram and Roblox, are also turning to AI-driven age detection as regulatory pressure grows. In the U.S., several states have introduced or passed laws to ensure children are not exposed to inappropriate content. In the U.K., similar age verification policies are being implemented in line with the Online Safety Act.
