Singapore – Google is set to introduce age assurance capabilities across its services in Singapore from the first quarter of 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen online protections for children and teenagers.
Announced at a Safer with Google event, the initiative is designed to better distinguish between adult users and those under 18, allowing more age-appropriate digital experiences.
The rollout comes amid increasing parental concern about potential online risks faced by children, including exposure to inappropriate content. Survey findings from the Ministry of Digital Development and Information indicate a growing need for additional tools to support families in managing children’s online activity.
“Our children are growing up in a world where technology shapes the way they see and experience their surroundings. To help them stay safe online, our society, including the government, educators, industry, community organisations and families, must work together,” Rahayu Mahzam, minister of state for Digital Development and Information, commented.
“I am encouraged by Google’s commitment to introducing solutions, such as age assurance technology across its products, which will be useful in helping our children harness the benefits of technology confidently and safely.”
The new measures build on existing safeguards by using machine learning-based age estimation to apply protections automatically to accounts assessed as belonging to users under 18.
Signals such as search activity and viewing behaviour will be used to determine likely age, with safeguards including disabling location history in Google Maps, restricting access to adult-rated apps on Google Play, enabling SafeSearch by default, and activating YouTube digital wellbeing features such as break reminders, bedtime prompts and adjusted content recommendations.
Users identified as under 18 will be notified of changes to their settings through email and in-product messages, along with information on how to verify their age to manage these settings themselves.
Adults who are incorrectly classified will be able to confirm their age through verification options, including the submission of government identification or a selfie, ensuring continued access to relevant services while maintaining protections for younger users.
“Keeping kids and teens safe online is mission-critical. The roll out of age assurance solutions in Singapore is a critical step in our systems, automatically providing an added layer of protection for young users across our products and platforms,” Ben King, managing director of Google Singapore, stated.
“This builds on our existing parental tools, and I hope this will help to give more parents peace of mind.”
These age assurance measures will complement Google’s existing family safety tools, including Family Link, supervised YouTube experiences and educational resources that support safer online behaviour.
In addition, Google is launching the fourth edition of its YouTube Creators for Impact programme in Singapore, engaging local creators in workshops and discussions on online harms before they develop content to raise awareness among young audiences on issues such as cyberbullying and online harassment.
