Google is expanding the artificial-intelligence age-verification technology it began testing on YouTube earlier this month to its flagship Search service, according to company statements and user reports gathered this week. The AI model attempts to predict whether a person is under 18 by analyzing viewing histories, search queries and other behavioural signals. If the system flags a possible minor, access to videos or search results can be blocked until the account holder proves adulthood. Adult users who are misclassified must submit a government-issued identity document, credit-card details or a selfie for facial analysis before their profiles are unlocked, the company says. The policy, already visible to some users in the United States and the European Union, effectively links verified personal data to a broader range of Google products once a single service triggers the check. Privacy and civil-liberties advocates say the approach deepens surveillance risks by adding biometric or official identity records to Google’s vast behavioural datasets. Jessica Melugin, director of the Center for Technology and Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, warned that the requirement could chill free expression and burden legitimate users without demonstrably improving child safety online. The move comes as regulators in the United Kingdom, several U.S. states and other jurisdictions adopt or propose laws compelling stronger age-gating for online content. Google has not disclosed the full geographic scope or timetable for the rollout, nor the accuracy rate of the AI estimator, but said it is refining the model and offers appeal mechanisms for users who contest its decisions.