At this point, you must be aware that YouTube is expanding its AI age verification to more users in some regions. This puts a set of restrictions on users below 18 years of age, including blocking age-restricted videos, Digital Wellbeing tools being on by default, and more. It appears the YouTube age verification is failing, as it’s reportedly flagging some adults as kids.
YouTube’s age verification system is failing
As spotted by Android Police, the YouTube age verification system is falsely flagging adult accounts as kids. This is despite Google implementing its various methods of age verification. Several users are complaining about this on Reddit. They say that they have been falsely flagged as minors even though they are not. A Reddit user claims that he’s over 18, while another user says they’re literally 21 years old, yet YouTube is still flagging them as minors.
Like it does with actual kids’ accounts, YouTube is showing a warning message, “We’ve changed some of your settings. We couldn’t verify that you’re an adult.” It then gives you the option to continue using the service with restrictions or verify your age.
You’ll have to manually reverify your age
YouTube’s intentions are in the right place. It wants to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content and show non-personalized ads. But the AI system, which is in place to detect minor accounts, is falsely flagging users. If the system wrongly flags you as a minor, the only option for you is to reverify your age manually using an ID, credit card, or selfie.
The YouTube AI age verification is only rolling out in the US, UK, and some EU countries. Reportedly, Google also uses a similar age verification system for the Play Store when downloading certain apps. However, there’s an option to verify through a third-party service, which is not available for YouTube currently.
