YouTube age verification

2025-08-16T04:43:46Z

Q-tip: Attempted to make tone more neutral and clean up some wording. I have reservations about some of the citations, but fixing those was not the goal of this edit.

{{ToneWarning}}
{{Incomplete}}
{{IncidentCargo
|StartDate=2025-07-30
|Status=Active
|ProductLine=YouTube
|Product=Youtube
|ArticleType=Service
|Type=Digital restrictions
|Description=YouTube is requiring Users to give their government id to verify that they are adults, otherwise Users will be locked out of content.
}}
==Background==
[[YouTube]] is a social media site created on February 14th, 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube turns 20! The numbers behind the platform |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/ztq2g2p |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=BBC Bitesize}}</ref> It allows users to upload and view videos from their electronic devices. As the platform has grown in popularity, some content creators have begun to make significant amounts of revenue from their videos, with some creators able to use their earnings as a primary source of income.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Molenaar |first=Koba |title=15 of the Most Popular Content Creators on YouTube to Check Out |url=https://influencermarketinghub.com/content-creators-youtube/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=Influencer Marketing Hub}}</ref>

==YouTube's Government ID Requirement==
On July 30th, 2025, in response to the UK's Online Safety Act,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Online Safety Act: explainer |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GOV.UK}}</ref> YouTube announced that it will be testing a new feature on its platform which requires users to provide a government issued ID to verify whether or not they are at least 18 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref> If users refuse, their account will be unable to access any content.

Critics say this violates America's first amendment right to the free speech of people and the press.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitution of the United States |url=https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=Constitution Annotated}}</ref> YouTube has [https://x.com/TeamYouTube/status/1950958354349633946 responded] stating that "This won’t be required for all users. We’ve always had the option for age verification via ID or credit card if someone is incorrectly estimated to be under 18."

In the past, YouTube has demonetized videos based on AI or algorithmic criteria. Creators who have sought to have the ability of their videos to continue making money have often received vague or no answer as to why the video was in violation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Albright |first=Dann |date=22 Feb 2024 |title=YouTube Demonetization: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Avoid It |url=https://www.uscreen.tv/blog/how-to-survive-youtube-demonetization/#:~:text=YouTube%20demonetization%20happens%20when%20a,process%20is%20largely%20the%20same.) |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=Uscreen}}</ref> Some users are concerned similar occurrences will happen with the new age verification enforcement.

==Consumer response==
Some users have signed a [https://www.change.org/p/youtube-s-ai-tracks-everything-you-watch-stop-this-now Change.org petition] and have contacted YouTube to revoke this new requirement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Belanger |first=Ashley |date=12 Aug 2025 |title=YouTube backlash begins: “Why is AI combing through every single video I watch?” |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/50k-youtubers-rage-against-ai-spying-that-could-expose-identities/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=Ars Technica}}</ref> The petition has not received a response from YouTube as of the time of writing.

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:YouTube]]

Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

YouTube age verification