Google will begin restricting Australian user accounts identified as being under 18 from this week, expanding its age-assurance rollout beyond the United States.
The changes follow a trial launched last year and are now being extended to Australia, Singapore and Brazil.
In a blog post on Monday, Google said the measures are designed to identify whether users are over or under 18 in order to deliver age-appropriate experiences.
The company is using artificial intelligence to estimate a user’s age based on signals such as search activity and videos watched on YouTube.
If an account is assessed as being under 18, personalised advertising will be switched off.
Minors will also be blocked from downloading adult-rated apps through the Google Play store.
Users who believe their age has been incorrectly estimated will be able to correct it using facial age estimation technology or by uploading identification.
Google is already estimating the ages of Australian YouTube users under the social media ban for children under 16, but the new move broadens age checking across more services.
