Google extends AI age checks beyond YouTube to other apps

It turns out the new Google AI age checks aren’t just a YouTube thing. The company is beginning to roll out a broader age assurance system across its entire platform in the US, which means more of your online activity could soon be used to judge whether you’re a teen. This follows yesterday’s launch of AI-based age estimation on YouTube, but it now appears that the effort reaches well beyond video recommendations.

According to a new Google blog post, the same technology will start testing across a wider set of Google services in the coming weeks. It will target a small number of US users in the initial testing phase, before rolling out more broadly over time.

The system works by using machine learning to analyze how you use your account, including the types of things you search for, what you watch on YouTube, and other behavioral patterns. If the algorithm thinks you’re under 18, you’ll get a prompt asking you to verify your age, either by uploading an ID or taking a selfie. Google says it’s trying to avoid unnecessary data collection and will only ask for proof when needed.

If you don’t verify, or if the system gets it right, you’ll be pushed into a more limited version of Google’s ecosystem by default. That means Digital Wellbeing tools like bedtime reminders on YouTube, no personalized ads, no Timeline history in Google Maps, and no access to age-restricted apps in the Play Store. Some of those changes are genuinely positive for protecting younger users, but it’s only a matter of time before wrongly flagged adults start getting frustrated.

To be fair to Google, the whole tech industry is under pressure to do more to protect kids online. Still, there’s something a little unsettling about having an AI model scan your habits and decide you’re not old enough for certain content — especially if it gets it wrong. If your account is new or you’ve been binge-watching MrBeast challenges and Taylor Swift reaction videos, you might find that Google starts nagging you to go to bed at a reasonable hour.