Google Expands AI-Powered Age Verification from YouTube to Search, Raising Privacy Concerns

Google's AI age verification spotted spreading beyond YouTube

I found a secret Google Wallet feature -- now I never fumble at checkout Google's ambitious AI age verification isn't contained to YouTube. It appears to be making its way to Google Search as well. For those unaware, Google began rolling out its controversial AI age verification system to YouTube yesterday in a bid to make the internet a safer place for young individuals. The tool determines whether a user is underage or not based on their activity and the content they consume. It, however, can falsely flag adults as being underage too, with said users then being forced to prove their age by uploading a government ID, credit card or a selfie. Users falsely flagged, of course, are unhappy with being forced to hand over sensitive data, and that frustration might soon boil over. Yesterday marked the first day that a similar age verification pop-up was observed directly within Google Search. Highlighted by user bunihe on the r/YouTube subreddit (via TechIssuesToday), the pop-up explicitly noted that some of their account settings were changed because their age couldn't be verified. We changed some of your account settings because we couldn't confirm if you're an adult. Check if your new settings are right for you. Flagged once, flagged everywhere? Reportedly, the user received the prompt on Search after they had already encountered an age verification request on YouTube earlier the same day. This might suggest that once Google's AI flags one of your accounts as being underage, it will affect all other Google services tied to that account. "Was watching some TechLinked earlier today when the age verification popped up on my phone, initially I didn't think too much about it cuz I thought "It is just YouTube". Apparently it affects my Google search experience too," wrote the user. Although the move is disruptive for users on YouTube, its scope isn't immediately clear in Search. It could potentially force SafeSearch for all queries, disable age-sensitive ad categories, block specific keywords, restrict specific website categories, and more. AI-based age verification is currently limited to the US, but it is expected to be rolled out to more countries and regions in the near future. We'll have more to share as additional reports of its impact on Search emerge.

Google Search age verification pop-ups appear in the US, mirroring YouTube's AI system - Phandroid

If you've been online lately, you may have noticed a subtle but important change. It began with YouTube, where users started seeing prompts to verify their age. Now, Google Search appears to be joining the trend. A screenshot posted on Reddit shows a pop-up in Google Search saying, "We've changed some of your settings" because Google "couldn't verify that you're an adult." According to TechIssuesToday, this is part of Google's AI-based age estimation system, which the company previously confirmed would expand beyond YouTube. It's now rolling out in the US. For years, the appeal of the internet was being able to search for anything without proving who you are. On YouTube, age restrictions can block videos. On Google Search, the impact could be far broader, from filtering images to blocking certain sites entirely. YouTube's AI age verification has already drawn backlash, with critics calling it a privacy violation. Many users are uneasy about the idea of an AI system analyzing their data to guess their age. Now, similar measures in Google Search are raising fears that even basic searches could require logging in and verifying your age. So far, reports suggest the pop-ups are rare. Google has said its system will act subtly, so this may not turn into a blanket filter like Meta's stricter AI moderation. Still, it signals a shift. For users, the choice is becoming clearer: share personal details with Google to keep searching without interruptions, or switch to alternatives like DuckDuckGo or Bing. What was once anonymous and frictionless is becoming more personalized and more restricted.