YouTube AI Age Verification is Reportedly Flagging Adults as Kids

YouTube’s AI is now playing bouncer at the door, expanding its age verification system in select regions. But the velvet rope is proving a bit… sticky. Under 18? Prepare for a digital curfew: age-restricted content becomes forbidden fruit, and YouTube’s Digital Wellbeing tools automatically kick in. The snag? Adults are reportedly getting carded as minors, raising serious questions about the AI’s ID skills. Is YouTube’s AI gatekeeper a bit too eager to block access?

YouTube’s age verification system is failing

YouTube’s age gate is broken, and adults are getting carded. Despite Google’s attempts to verify user ages, Android Police reports a bizarre glitch: legitimate adult accounts are being wrongly flagged as belonging to children. Redditors are venting their frustration, with some claiming to be well over 18, even 21, yet still facing YouTube’s erroneous kiddie lock.

YouTube’s throwing up a roadblock, even for those using kid-friendly accounts. See that pop-up? "Hold on! We’ve tweaked your settings. Couldn’t confirm you’re all grown up." Now you’re at a crossroads: keep browsing with limitations or prove you’re an adult to unlock everything.

You’ll have to manually reverify your age

YouTube’s crusade to shield young eyes and serve up vanilla ads is hitting some turbulence. Their AI age-gatekeeper, designed to block minors from adult content, is mistakenly slapping the "underage" label on countless users. The punishment? Digital purgatory until you submit a photo ID, credit card details, or a selfie to prove you’re not a kid. Essentially, to prove you’re an adult, you have to hand over sensitive information to a system already proven to be flawed.

YouTube’s age gate is going global, but only for users in the US, UK, and select EU nations… for now. Google Play already employs a similar age-check for app downloads. The twist? Play Store users can verify through third-party services. YouTube viewers? Stuck with the in-house system. Will YouTube broaden verification options or leave users locked out?

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