YouTube has publicly pushed back against the UK government’s decision to include the platform in a planned ban on social media access for under-16s. The company says YouTube is more than just social media, it’s a useful place where kids and teens learn, watch educational videos, and explore their interests. YouTube called itself a “vital resource” The UK government says the ban aims to protect young people from harmful content But YouTube argues that banning kids from the platform could push them to less safe websites instead.

YouTube is rolling out a new system to identify AI-generated content on the platform. The company said: “If a creator doesn’t specify whether they used AI, but our systems detect significant photorealistic AI use, we will now automatically apply a label.” Creators are expected to disclose when they use AI to create realistic-looking videos or scenes. If they don’t, YouTube’s detection systems may now add the label automatically. This is part of a broader push for transparency as AI-generated videos, voices, and images become harder to distinguish from real content.