YouTube's AI is being criticized

YouTube faces a wave of protests. Photo: Nurphoto .

Tens of thousands of YouTubers are protesting YouTube's plans to use AI to detect underage users in the US. A Change.org petition is quickly approaching its 50,000 signature goal, hoping the platform will halt the rollout.

They worry that age checks will make it harder for users to access content they like but still want to remain anonymous. According to YouTube, this age verification system is based on signals, including the types of videos users search for, have watched and how long their accounts are active.

If an account is determined to be under 18, YouTube will apply restrictions by turning off personalized ads and enabling digital wellbeing tools to block harmful content. Users will also be limited to repeat viewing of certain content and required to provide identification, a credit card, or a selfie to verify their age.

Privacy experts say YouTube's AI-based age checks are concerning. It's not clear how the data collected from users who are mislabeled as teenagers will be used or how long it will be stored. A company spokesperson said only that the company doesn't retain the information for advertising purposes, according to Ars Technica .

Experts note that even the best age-estimation technology has a margin of error of about two years on either side, meaning that ages 16-20 could be particularly vulnerable to misidentification. Additionally, if YouTube were hacked, people’s IDs and faces could potentially be stolen.

Gerfdas, the YouTuber who started the petition, said that any monetized account has already shared personal information with YouTube. It is absurd for AI to silently scan every user's viewing habits because as an adult, he has the right to watch whatever he wants within the law.

Meanwhile, YouTube has created a Kids version for children. Managing what children watch and when should be the responsibility of parents, this YouTuber shared.

Since August 12, hundreds of people identifying themselves as YouTubers have joined the petition every hour, showing that people who want to protect digital freedom are increasingly banding together. It amounts to “a form of mass surveillance and censorship disguised as child protection,” Gerfdas said.

Some YouTubers who signed the petition said age verification risks exposing vulnerable users who rely on anonymity. For gender-diverse creators, for example, sharing identification or selfies could “put me in danger,” one commenter wrote.

Many comments questioned the ability to determine age based on viewing history alone. One commenter said she liked to watch videos of unboxing gifts and toys as a form of entertainment. Or that families using a shared account to access children's content could also be subject to restrictions.

Gerfdas started watching YouTube at age 13, but didn’t start producing content for the platform until 2023, as an adult, motivated by his favorite channels. He shares his empathy with some teenage viewers, not wanting AI to limit his activities and inspiration.

While he relies on the platform for some revenue, if YouTube were to roll out its AI system across the entire platform, Gerfdas said it might be time to seriously consider leaving. “This isn’t just a YouTube issue, it’s a digital freedom issue,” he said.

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