GOOGLE TO ROLL OUT AI SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY UNDER-18 USERS IN CANADA

Sun 20 September 2026:

Machine learning system will activate default privacy protections for minors across Google services

Google is preparing to introduce machine learning technology in Canada to identify users who may be under 18 and automatically apply stronger privacy and safety settings, the company announced Monday.

The system is designed to determine a user’s age based on signals already associated with their account, rather than requiring the collection of additional personal information.

“While some would like a system that imposes a universal arbiter of age, we believe that liability and responsibility rest with every service owner — the developer, the publisher, the app creator — because they know their users and services best,” Jeanette Patell, Google’s Canada director of government affairs and public policy, wrote in a company blog post.

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Google to Assess Existing Account Signals

Patell said the system was developed “with user privacy in mind.” Its algorithms will examine existing account indicators, including a user’s historical Google Search activity and YouTube viewing patterns, to estimate whether the account belongs to someone under 18.

Google said the approach is intended to avoid gathering new information solely for age verification.

Accounts identified as belonging to minors will automatically receive a range of protections across Google’s services.

These measures include turning off Google Maps Timeline, disabling personalized advertising, blocking adult-rated downloads through the Google Play store and introducing automated break reminders on YouTube.

Users who believe they have been incorrectly classified as minors will be able to challenge the decision. Google will allow them to submit either a selfie or a government-issued photo identification document as evidence of their age.

Company Emphasizes Data Minimization

Google said the system is being designed to limit the amount of information processed and to prevent unnecessary sharing of user data.

Patell said the technology aims to prevent platforms from “sharing granular user information with apps and websites unnecessarily.”

The initiative reflects growing pressure on technology companies to strengthen protections for children and teenagers online while balancing those measures against privacy concerns surrounding age verification.

Canada Considers Stricter Social Media Rules

Google’s announcement follows similar efforts by Meta, which has expanded automated age-detection systems to place Canadian teenagers into settings with additional restrictions.

The rollout also comes as Canadian lawmakers consider Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act. The proposed federal legislation would require online platforms to restrict accounts belonging to children under 16 unless adequate safety protections are in place.

The developments highlight an intensifying debate in Canada over how technology companies should determine users’ ages and protect minors while limiting the collection and sharing of personal data.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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