YouTube's age verification system mistakenly flagged adults as minors
A bunch of YouTube users in the US suddenly found their accounts restricted, with the platform's new AI system mistakenly tagging them as minors.
This triggers "teen protections" that block some videos and change ad settings.
Unlike flipping on Restricted Mode, getting your account back to normal now means you have to verify your age with an ID, credit card, or even a selfie.
Why YouTube needs to verify users' ages
YouTube rolled out these stricter checks to meet tougher rules about protecting young users' data, especially after facing a huge fine back in 2019.
But needing to hand over personal info for age verification has made some users uneasy about privacy.
While some adults aren't thrilled about proving their age again, others acknowledge that some teenagers may try to circumvent the system.