Google is beginning to implement artificial intelligence to automatically determine the age of its users. If the system finds that a user is under 18, it will automatically activate relevant restrictions across all company services.

This includes features like sleep reminders on YouTube, limitations on personalized recommendations and ads, disabling history in Google Maps, and restricting access to certain content in the Play Store.

The algorithms will consider what users search for and the videos they watch on YouTube. Initially, the restrictions will be applied to a "small number" of accounts in the USA, but they will be expanded in the future.

If the identification is incorrect, Google will prompt the user to verify their age by providing a photo ID or a selfie.

This is a continuation of the initiative announced by Google in February, starting with YouTube. The company attributes these changes to increasing societal and political pressure — there is growing criticism in the USA regarding the impact of social media on teenagers, and the UK has already enacted legislation requiring age verification on platforms like Discord, Reddit, Bluesky, and Spotify.