Google to begin identifying underage users in Canada using AI

Google to begin identifying underage users in Canada using AI ANJA KARADEGLIJA OTTAWA THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED 21 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Governments around the world are implementing age restrictions for social media. MANUEL AUSLOOS/REUTERS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. Google GOOGL-Q +1.77% increase is bringing its age assurance technology – which uses artificial intelligence to detect underage users – to Canada. “Our age estimation model uses machine learning to interpret a variety of signals already associated with a user’s account, such as the types of information a user has searched for or the categories of videos they’ve watched on YouTube,” the company said in a blog post Monday. The company says that if the technology identifies someone as underage, their Google account will be changed to include additional protections, such as safeguards on content recommendations. If it mistakenly identifies an adult as being under 18, the company says that person will be able to prove their age using things like a government ID or a selfie. “In the coming days, we’ll begin to gradually roll out this technology in Canada, carefully monitoring progress as we expand its availability,” Jeanette Patell, director of government affairs and public policy at Google Canada, said in the post. She said the company won’t be collecting any new information that isn’t already associated with the user’s account. “Age assurance technology is becoming more widely available, and we’re encouraged to see its increasing adoption by other companies in recent months,” Patell wrote. “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.” The increasing use of age assurance technology comes as governments around the world, including in Canada, move to implement age restrictions for social media. Opinion: When it comes to kids and social media, Canadians have had enough Meta META-Q +0.57% increase has already started using AI to identify underage users and place them in teen accounts in Canada. The company said in September it would expand testing of the technology to countries outside the United States., including Canada. Meta uses AI to look at context…