YouTube's AI age verification could significantly expand protections for teens, aligning the platform with mounting regulatory pressure. But the flip side is a new privacy burden on adults who are misclassified and asked to hand over sensitive data to prove their age.

YouTube began rolling out an 'age-estimation model' in the U.S. that uses AI to restrict access to users determined to be under 18 years old.

YouTube will soon be implementing an age-verification process — leadership claims the move is aimed at ensuring minors are subject to appropriate online protections. Just in case a minor misstates their age at the time of sign-up, the AI feature will catch the error and implement safety measures.