Google has started disabling accounts belonging to youngsters under the age of 13 as per changes made in January to the e-mail service’s terms of use.  Youngsters logging into the service are being greeted with the message:”The Google account of (the person concerned) has been disabled. You will not be able to sign in to this account or use it to access any Google products or services. You do not meet the age requirements for a Google Account. This account will be deleted in 25 days unless the birthday you entered was incorrect and you submit proof that you are 13-years-old or older.”

The internet-service company insists that age restrictions are in place in all countries and it was their own policy decision. However, the move comes at a time when Google, along with other service providers, is locked in a battle with the government over the issue of “offensive content”.  Google said it began to require new users in India to enter their dates of birth between six months and a year ago. “In the US, we began asking for age for new Google Account sign-ups about a year and a half ago, and we started requiring an age at sign-up in other parts of the world as well. Having a users’ age information helps us provide features like age-appropriate settings, which help keep kids safe online,” a company spokesperson said in response to an email query.

The company declined comment on when it had actually started disabling accounts of those below the age of 13 or how many accounts had been disabled. Yahoo Mail requires parents of under-18 users to consent to their registration.  Despite having taken the measure, Google admitted that providing online services to children while meeting regulatory requirements is “very complicated”.