Getting carded by a server is a classic form of flattery — an unintended way to let someone know they look younger than they are or just have a really effective skincare routine.
In 2026, it’s all about getting age-checked by a Waymo.
In recent weeks, Waymo riders have reported receiving calls from a remote support agent during their trips, asking whether they’re old enough to ride in the robotaxi. Some have posted their interactions on social media.
“We received a notification that there is a minor riding in the vehicle. Can I confirm, ‘How old are you?'” a support agent can be heard saying in one TikTok video. The rider responded: “I’m 31!”
Waymo bars people under 18 from riding its robotaxis without adult supervision. In Phoenix, the company offers teen accounts for 14 to 17-year-olds. That hasn’t stopped some parents from putting their underage kids inside a Waymo, using robotaxis as personal chauffeurs.
To crack down on violations, Waymo uses its in-cabin cameras to flag riders who could be breaking the rules. The company said on its website that it also uses AI and machine learning models, but said that it does not use facial recognition or biometric identification to identify the riders.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
The process is not perfect.
Riders who say they are well over 18 have shared on social media their curious experience of being carded by a Waymo. Some can’t tell if it’s a backhanded compliment.
“I got a @Waymo age verification call in the middle of my ride today,” Seema Amble, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, wrote on X. “Is this the new version of getting carded? Should I be flattered?”
One social media user who goes by the handle @clarahyee jumped at the opportunity to share her skincare routine with her followers after she was carded by a Waymo.
“Here’s the skincare routine that made Waymo AND Uber think I’m a minor,” she said in her video.
Waymo’s age-verification process may have also flagged edge-case riders.
Danh Trang, a South Park Commons partner, wrote on X that he has achondroplasia — a genetic condition that affects bone growth and is the most common form of dwarfism. About 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 people are born with the condition, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
A Waymo flagged his ride.
“I’m 39. I have achondroplasia. I’m 4’2″,” Trang said. “@Waymo, hope this makes it into a future model update.”
Trang added to his X post that this is a “pretty typical achondroplasia experience” and that he mostly shared it because he “thought it was funny.”
He did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Videos of carding moments shared online show that the verification process typically involves a rider support agent asking the rider for their age and confirming they’re the account holder.
A Waymo spokesperson said the company will continue to refine its system and processes for accuracy over time.
“For the safety of our riders, we have policies in place to help us identify violations of our terms of service, including age eligibility,” the spokesperson said. “At times, we may contact riders to verify they are aged 18 years or older — or 14-17 for authorized teen accounts in Phoenix.”
Autonomous cars like Waymo haven’t taken over the world, but they’re already showing how frontier technology adds new quirks — and concerns — to modern life.
Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Waymo
In San Francisco, a robotaxi hub, riders might use Waymo like an office on wheels; women have given birth inside of Waymos; and DoorDash drivers can pick up a couple extra bucks if they close a Waymo door left ajar.
The cars have also given rise to new kinds of nuisances. There have been reported issues of constant honking at the depots where Waymos charge. In December 2025, a massive power outage in SF left Waymos stuck in the middle of intersections.
Advocacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation have also raised concerns around privacy and surveillance since AVs have cameras inside and outside the vehicles.
“The sheer amount of visual and other information collected by a fleet of cars traveling down public streets conjures the threat of the possibility for peoples’ movements to be tracked, aggregated, and retained by companies, law enforcement, or bad actors — including vendor employees,” the EFF wrote in a blog.
Waymo said it protects riders’ privacy but uses safeguards, such as interior cameras, to identify policy violations.
For those who get carded, it’s a reminder: Yes, Waymo is watching you. But at least you look good.