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The announcement was part of a larger suite of child-safety features revealed this week, as U.S. lawmakers continue to debate new regulations around children’s access to social media.

YouTube CEO first referenced the tool in a blog post outlining the platform’s priorities for 2025. “We’ll use machine learning in 2025 to help us estimate a user’s age — distinguishing between younger viewers and adults — to help provide the best and most age-appropriate experiences and protections,” he wrote.

According to YouTube, the AI system will look at a range of user signals — including the types of videos watched, search history, and the age of the user’s Google account — to assess whether someone is likely underage. For example, users frequently watching content about mortgages or taxes would likely be flagged as adults, while newer accounts consuming kid-friendly content could be flagged for restrictions.

Once flagged, the user would automatically be placed under YouTube’s standard protections for minors. These include age-gating for explicit or restricted content and activation of Google’s SafeSearch filter, which limits inappropriate content in search results.

The AI-based filter is expected to begin testing later this year and is slated for global rollout in 2026. Although initially focused on YouTube, Google hinted the model may expand to other Google services.

Google’s announcement follows a similar move by Meta, which last year began using an “adult classifier” tool to detect underage users on Instagram attempting to bypass age restrictions.

In addition to YouTube updates, Google also revealed several enhancements to its Family Link parental controls app:

• School Time: Previously available only on the Fitbit Ace LTE and Galaxy Watch for Kids, this feature will now launch on Android phones and tablets. It allows parents to limit access to certain apps during school hours, while still allowing educational tools and emergency contacts.

• Contact Management: Parents will soon be able to approve or deny new contacts added to their child’s device, restricting calls and texts to pre-approved individuals. This feature, borrowed from Galaxy Watch for Kids, will roll out in the coming months.

• Tap-to-Pay for Kids: Coming this spring, parents will be able to enable tap-to-pay functionality on their child’s Android phone. They’ll be able to manage cards, view transaction history, and authorize purchases using debit cards, gift cards, or even digital concert tickets.

As pressure mounts in Washington to tighten child safety laws online, Google’s rollout of AI-powered age detection and expanded parental tools signals a clear effort to get ahead of looming regulations — and provide a safer experience for younger users across its platforms.

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