YouTube will identify children impersonating adults
Under pressure from the public and lawmakers, YouTube is introducing new artificial intelligence-based technology to recognise underage users posing as adults.
This is reported by the Dawn publication.
The measure is being implemented in the US amid global concerns about how digital platforms - including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube - protect children from content intended for mature audiences. According to a statement from James Bezer, director of product management at YouTube Youth, it uses a machine learning model that estimates a user's age based on a variety of parameters - such as the type of videos watched and the age of the account.
"This technology will allow us to determine a user's age regardless of what birthday they have entered in their account, and provide age-appropriate user experiences and protective measures based on that," Bezer explained.
The age estimation algorithm complements the existing technology YouTube already uses for age recognition. If the system determines that a user is underage, they will be prompted to verify - via credit card, selfies or ID.
The move comes as social media sites are regularly criticised for failing to protect children's mental health and safety. Australian authorities have expressed particular concern. In late July, the country's Communications Minister Anika Wells said that Australia was the first country in the world to ban access to YouTube for children under 16 - the law will come into force on 10 December 2025.
The minister noted that 40 per cent of Australian children have encountered malicious content on YouTube and called the platform's algorithms "predatory". While the company says YouTube is not a social network but a video platform with a "library of free, high-quality content increasingly viewed on TV screens", authorities believe it is necessary to legally restrict access to minors.
Australia has already announced it is preparing legislation to restrict access to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to children under 16 in 2024. The new law has become one of the toughest in the world and has already attracted interest from other countries considering similar restrictions.
Mykola Potyka has a wide range of knowledge and skills in several fields. Mykola writes interestingly about things that interest him.
Related news
Scientists have discovered how children learn maths at home — without even realising it
Ukrainian courts allow marriages of minors in 98 per cent of cases
Children with autism may hear voices and environmental sounds differently
Banning a friend is easy. But what does the child lose with this friendship?
Popular news
A medieval bathhouse in Morocco has kept its secret for a thousand years
Scientists have discovered why one brother was buried in a lavish grave whilst the other was buried on the outskirts of the cemetery
Astronomers have detected a signal that has been travelling towards Earth for over 8 billion years
News about war
Ukrainians have to help wounded during Russian shelling on their own
Pro-Russian march with St. George ribbons and Night Wolves allowed in Vienna
"Grow up!" - Budanov named the main risk for preserving independent Ukraine
