Google has released a series of safety features designed for children, including the use of artificial intelligence to identify the user's age to prevent underage children from viewing content that is inappropriate for their age. On the other hand, Google will also make it easier for parents to control which phone functions and app content their children can use during school hours through the Google Family Link feature.
YouTube CEO Neal MohanExplain, then we will use machine learning to assess whether the user’s actual age meets the age standard.
YouTube's response: "It analyzes the content an account typically views, such as mortgage and tax-related videos, indicating an adult user. If the system identifies an account as underage, it will activate relevant protections, such as blocking content that is inappropriate for minors or has age restrictions, and filtering explicit content from search results."
This feature is expected to be put into testing this year and is planned to be officially launched globally in 2026. However, whether it can successfully prevent underage children from watching age-inappropriate content may still depend on the actual test results. After all, many children watch YouTube using personal accounts set up by their parents rather than personal accounts used by the children.
On the other hand, Google has also added the School Time function originally provided for Fitbit Ace LTE and Galaxy Watch for Kids to the Google Family Link App, allowing parents to set the mobile phone functions and apps that children can use while in school, so that children will not be affected by mobile phones while in school. At the same time, they can also set the contact information in children's mobile phones.
In addition, parents will be able to add payment options to their children's Android phones through the Google Family Link app, allowing them to add or remove credit and debit cards for payment on their children's phones. They can also review transactions made on their children's phones and confirm items such as digital point-of-sale cards and concert tickets.
