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Background
YouTube is a social media site created on February 14th, 2005.[1] 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.[2]
YouTube's Government ID Requirement
On July 30th, 2025, in response to the UK's Online Safety Act,[3] YouTube announced that it will be testing a new feature on its platform which scans each user's channel history (including viewed videos) with AI, to which in case of determination that the user is underage (regardless of birthdate in Google account), a government issued ID or video verification will be required to verify that the user is at least 18 years old.[4] If the user refuses, their account will be unable to access age restricted, "potentially mature content" (which has been shown to include several videos critical of Google and YouTube[citation needed], whether by coincidence or not) and content deemed as problematic for repetitive consumption, on top of losing access to many creator features and abilities, if they were activated prior.
YouTube has 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." This most likely refers to their eligibility system for advanced creator features, of which ID and/or video verification is a method of gaining access.[5]
Consumer response
Some users have signed a Change.org petition and have contacted YouTube to revoke this new requirement.[6] The petition has not received a response from YouTube as of the time of writing.
References
- ↑ "YouTube turns 20! The numbers behind the platform". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 14 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Molenaar, Koba. "15 of the Most Popular Content Creators on YouTube to Check Out". Influencer Marketing Hub. Retrieved 14 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Online Safety Act: explainer". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Ingram, Michael (30 Jul 2025). "YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature". GameRant. Retrieved 14 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Learn about feature access for YouTube Creators". YouTube Help. Retrieved 16 Aug 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Belanger, Ashley (12 Aug 2025). "YouTube backlash begins: "Why is AI combing through every single video I watch?"". Ars Technica. Retrieved 14 Aug 2025.
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