How Google, Meta are implementing its ‘age assurance’ tech in Canada

The federal government in Canada has introduced digital safety legislation that would ban social media for kids under 16. Major tech companies like Google and Meta are utilizing age assurance technology to estimate users' ages.

Age assurance refers to the methods employed by tech platforms to ascertain a user's age, including age declarations like "click to verify you're 18." However, recently, these companies have incorporated "age estimation" techniques, such as using AI to estimate age based on factors like online behavior and posted images.

Google announced that it would expand its age assurance technology to Canada. The company assesses various factors like search queries and video viewing habits on YouTube to determine a user's age. If Google identifies a user as underage, they receive extra protections on their account, such as tools that remind users to take breaks, content safeguards, disabling personalized ads, and restricting access to adult-only apps.

If misidentified as under 18, these users can prove their age using tools like government ID, a selfie, or a credit card check. Google stores the date of birth if a government ID is used but deletes the ID shortly afterward and uses a service named PrivateID to analyze selfies to determine age. The selfie is not retained or used for precise age identification.

On the other hand, Meta suspects accounts belonging to users under 18 and places them in teen accounts, which have additional protections limiting who can contact the user and the content they can view. If Meta believes an account may belong to someone under 13, it deactivates the account and requires the account holder to provide proof of age. Meta also uses visual analysis to scan photos and videos for visual age clues, but the AI doesn't identify the person or use facial recognition.