'Has to be balanced': Reactions to YouTube's ID verification rollout

YouTube launches AI age-verification in US

Remember when the Tea app was the flavor of the month? It was a platform for single women to spill the tea about the men they?d dated. It was all good until it wasn?t. The app was hacked, exposing users? valuable information and photos all over the dark web. That?s one of the concerns following Google?s announcement that YouTube users will start providing ID verification.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - There are concerns over a decision by YouTube to enforce ID verification for some users on their platform. Meanwhile, some social media experts say there has to be a balance between protecting children and online privacy. 

Big picture view:

Remember when the Tea app was the flavor of the month? It was a platform for single women to spill the tea about the men they’d dated. It was all good until it wasn’t. The app was hacked, exposing users’ valuable information and photos all over the dark web.

That’s one of the concerns following Google’s announcement that YouTube users will start providing ID verification.

John Patterson, a social media expert from That Random Agency, says the idea was not a surprise.

"I think it’s an interesting and beneficial for Google and YouTube to solve a problem that we’ve all known existed on the platform, which is underage users have access to a lot of content that they maybe shouldn’t," Patterson said.

Google stated that the policy would fall in line with online safety laws designed to protect children. Statista reports YouTube has more than 250 million users in America with only 1 in 10 of them being run by someone under 18-years-old.

Local perspective:

FOX 2 asked people and parents in Troy if they agreed with the potential policy.

"I think maybe the intention may be well-placed, but I think it might be a little too intrusive on privacy," said one person. 

"I think it’s a good idea if there’s protections there to ensure the IDs aren’t going everywhere, but I think it’s too easy with the parental controls for the kids to view content that they shouldn’t," said another.

Cybersecurity expert David Derigiotis says if users have any reservations about their information being tracked, he suggests they use an independent log-in to access services.

"On the surface, it’s in the name of protecting minors, protecting youth, which is absolutely a good thing, but that has to be balanced against invasions of privacy and personal information," said Derigiotis. "That’s what this does as well. Anytime you’re using your Google device, your Android device, using Gmail, any of those things, that information is collected, cataloged, and then shared back with Google."

The backstory:

This all comes after the United Kingdom implemented the Online Safety Act in July 2025. The act, according to the UK Government, puts new duties on social media companies and search engines, saying it makes them "more responsible for their users’ safety on their platforms." The law is meant to make services safer for minors. 

Since the law has passed, social media platforms and even music listening services like Spotify are making UK users identify themselves through ID in order to view explicit material on their platform, or risk their account being deleted. 

Wikipedia challenged the law, claiming it could threaten the human rights and safety of its volunteers, according to a report by the BBC. Though the case was dismissed by the UK's High Court, they stated that the door has been open for future litigation. 

Pushback continued, as nearly half a million people signed a petition to repeal the law, which was met with denial by the UK Government. 

Like a flame at the end of a wick, the Online Safety Act started a chain reaction of some governments worldwide, bringing similar laws to their countries, from Australia attempting to ban social media for users under 16, to two laws re-introduced in the United States, the SCREEN Act and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).

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YouTube, others may ask for your ID as online safety laws sprout across the globe

Some users of YouTube in the United States may be barred from the platform starting Wednesday as the Google-owned media giant plans to roll out ID verification, amid a trend of similar decisions propping up around the debate about online safety.

What's next:

It is unknown when or if US lawmakers will vote on similar laws to the UK. The future of the internet is always changing as it becomes a primary tool for society in terms of work, education, entertainment and communication.

As the search for safer measures online for children is needed, some fear it could lead to privacy issues further down the road.