Critics have raised concerns about privacy as well as access to the platform for users falsely flagged as underage.

If the technology incorrectly estimates a user to be under 18, they can verify with a credit card or a government ID. YouTube said it will only allow users who have been verified over 18 to view age-restricted content that may be inappropriate for younger users.

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.