Watching children: YouTube videos with minors get more clicks
5 years, 8 months ago

Watching children: YouTube videos with minors get more clicks

Al Jazeera  

Child advocates want YouTube to help prevent predators from getting to clips that may allow them to sexualise minors. YouTube videos featuring young children drew nearly triple the average viewership of other content, according to research released on Thursday, providing ammunition for child advocates who want Alphabet Inc. to take more aggressive steps to make its streaming service safer for kids. The Pew Research Center said its findings show videos aimed at or featuring children are among YouTube’s most popular materials, attracting an outsized audience relative to the number of videos uploaded. Last year, the Center for Digital Democracy and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood filed a complaint with the United States Federal Trade Commission, saying YouTube’s parent company violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The groups complained that the company has “made a vast amount of money by using children’s personal information” and “profited from advertising revenues from ads on its YouTube channels that are watched by children”.

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History of this topic

Meta, Snapchat and TikTok opposes YouTube exemption from Australia’s ban on social media for children
3 weeks ago

Meta, Snapchat and TikTok opposes YouTube exemption from Australia’s ban on social media for children

The Hindu  

Tech giants Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms, Snapchat and TikTok have urged Australia to reconsider a decision to exempt Alphabet's YouTube from its laws banning social media for children younger than 16. But Meta said a young person with a YouTube account experiences the features outlined by the government to justify the ban, including algorithmic content recommendations, social interaction …

TikTok accuses Australia of favouritism in social media crackdown, targets YouTube’s special treatment
Trending News
3 weeks ago

TikTok accuses Australia of favouritism in social media crackdown, targets YouTube’s special treatment

Live Mint  

TikTok has strongly criticised the Australian government for exempting YouTube from a sweeping social media crackdown that will see under-16s banned from most platforms, reported Bloomberg. Meta’s submission stated that the special treatment afforded to YouTube “makes a mockery of the government’s stated intention to protect young people.” However, TikTok’s response has been the most outspoken, reflecting its frustration that …

YouTube tries new ways to stop people falling into negative ‘wormholes’
3 weeks, 1 day ago

YouTube tries new ways to stop people falling into negative ‘wormholes’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy YouTube is trying new ways to stop young people falling into harmful “wormholes”. …

YouTube urged by Nandy to promote higher quality children’s content
2 months, 3 weeks ago

YouTube urged by Nandy to promote higher quality children’s content

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Ms Nandy, who has a nine-year-old son, said: “This is something that affects my family, …

YouTube algorithm suggests videos about disordered eating to some young users, new study says
3 months, 2 weeks ago

YouTube algorithm suggests videos about disordered eating to some young users, new study says

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. YouTube, the social media platform most used by …

How YouTube and Netflix are changing the business of kids’ shows
3 months, 2 weeks ago

How YouTube and Netflix are changing the business of kids’ shows

LA Times  

It’s 7 a.m. Do you know what your kids are streaming? Emily Horgan, a Dublin-based media consultant who specializes in children’s content, points to this year’s “The Sign,” a special long episode of the acclaimed Australian series “Bluey,” which streams on Disney+. “Preventing churn is one of the things we know happens for kids’ content,” Horgan said. “But I do …

YouTube exemption backed by group behind push for under-16 social media ban
4 months ago

YouTube exemption backed by group behind push for under-16 social media ban

ABC  

An advocacy group that pushed for children and teens under 16 to be banned from social media has supported YouTube being given an exemption, but warns there is still a risk of kids being able to create accounts on the video site. On Thursday, the federal government introduced legislation to parliament to ban kids under 16 from social media sites …

YouTube limiting repeated recommendations of ideal body standards and social aggression videos to teens
6 months, 2 weeks ago

YouTube limiting repeated recommendations of ideal body standards and social aggression videos to teens

The Hindu  

YouTube is rolling out more safeguards for teenagers across Europe and the world, in order to curb their repeated exposure to certain content categories that could affect their mental health if repeatedly shown to them, said the company in a blog post. “These categories include content that compares physical features and idealizes some types over others, idealizes specific fitness levels …

YouTube tries to stop young people falling into ‘rabbit holes’ and lets parents see what they are watching
6 months, 2 weeks ago

YouTube tries to stop young people falling into ‘rabbit holes’ and lets parents see what they are watching

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Experts and parents issue warning over huge Netflix children's show that acts like 'cocaine for babies' - as mothers are forced to ban 'Jekyll and Hyde' kids from watching
9 months ago

Experts and parents issue warning over huge Netflix children's show that acts like 'cocaine for babies' - as mothers are forced to ban 'Jekyll and Hyde' kids from watching

Daily Mail  

For more than a decade, CoComelon has played babysitter to hundreds of millions of children around the world. The saccharin-sweet kids show with hypnotic nursery rhymes and plasticine-like rainbow colours was created by California father-of-two Jay Jeon to teach his two children the alphabet. The top CoComelon video about bath time has been watched almost 7BILLION times The 3d animations …

YouTube rolls out ‘pause pages’ and content recommendation changes for children
9 months, 1 week ago

YouTube rolls out ‘pause pages’ and content recommendation changes for children

The Hindu  

YouTube is globally rolling out changes to its app and platform experience in order to better shield young users from possibly risky content, remind them to take breaks, and provide them with resources in case they are going through a crisis. YouTube said it was using Google’s machine learning technology to update its content recommendation system, with the aim of …

YouTube toughens policy on gun videos and youth; critics say proof will be in enforcement
9 months, 2 weeks ago

YouTube toughens policy on gun videos and youth; critics say proof will be in enforcement

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — YouTube is changing its policies about firearm videos in an effort to keep potentially dangerous content from reaching underage users. “Firearms are the number one cause of death for children and teens in America,” said Paul, whose group has long sought stronger age controls on online gun videos. Until YouTube takes real action to prevent videos about guns …

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok CEOs face tough questions on child safety online I Watch LIVE proceedings
1 year, 1 month ago

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok CEOs face tough questions on child safety online I Watch LIVE proceedings

India TV News  

California: The CEOs of top social media apps and video streaming platforms including Meta, TikTok, X and others are testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child exploitation on their platforms, as lawmakers, families and advocates are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives. So independent regulation needs to step in.” Facebook to face …

Child rights panel summons YouTube India official over indecent content
1 year, 2 months ago

Child rights panel summons YouTube India official over indecent content

India TV News  

Child rights panel summons YouTube India official over indecent content The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has in a notice to the head of government and public policy of YouTube asked him to physically appear on January 15. New Delhi: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Wednesday summoned an official of YouTube India while raising …

YouTube tops in popular list of platforms among teens | Know-why
1 year, 3 months ago

YouTube tops in popular list of platforms among teens | Know-why

India TV News  

In a recent report, around 7 in 10 teens visit YouTube every day, including around 16 per cent who were witnessed being "almost constant" on the site. As per the Pew Research Center, YouTube will be continuing to top in popular list of platforms among teens, followed by three social media platforms- TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. Older teens are more …

Pew survey: YouTube tops teens’ social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantly
1 year, 3 months ago

Pew survey: YouTube tops teens’ social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantly

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — Teen usage of social media hasn’t dropped much, despite rising concerns about its effects on the mental health of adolescents, a survey from the Pew Research Institute found. But the data also found that roughly one in six teens describe their use of two platforms — YouTube and TikTok — as “almost constant.” Seventy-one percent of teens …

No child sexual abuse material on platform: YouTube
1 year, 5 months ago

No child sexual abuse material on platform: YouTube

The Hindu  

YouTube said on Monday that it did not detect any child sexual abuse materials on its platform nor evidence of such from the regulators. We are committed to work with all collaborators in the industry-wide fight to stop the spread of child sexual abuse material," the spokesperson added. Our child safety policy expressly prohibits “sexually explicit content featuring minors and …

YouTube Shorts explodes in popularity with 96% of Indian youth aged 18-44
1 year, 5 months ago

YouTube Shorts explodes in popularity with 96% of Indian youth aged 18-44

India TV News  

YouTube has solidified its position as the preferred online platform for four out of every five Indian internet users. Furthermore, its short-video creation tool, YouTube Shorts, has witnessed substantial growth, with 96 per cent of users aged 18 to 44 in India embracing the platform. This growth has transcended devices, with 88 per cent of Indian online users aged 18 …

Children's advocates ask FTC to investigate Google for targeting ads to kids
1 year, 7 months ago

Children's advocates ask FTC to investigate Google for targeting ads to kids

The Hindu  

Children’s advocacy groups including Fairplay and Common Sense Media are asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google, saying the tech giant serves personalized ads to kids on YouTube despite federal law prohibiting the practice. In response to the Times report, Google said last week that it did not run personalized ads on children’s videos and that its ad practices …

Colleen Ballinger drama: Welcome to the internet – where everything is going wrong
1 year, 8 months ago

Colleen Ballinger drama: Welcome to the internet – where everything is going wrong

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Specifically, I’m talking about the overreliance …

YouTube’s recommendations send violent and graphic gun videos to 9-year-olds, study finds
1 year, 10 months ago

YouTube’s recommendations send violent and graphic gun videos to 9-year-olds, study finds

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — When researchers at a nonprofit that studies social media wanted to understand the connection between YouTube videos and gun violence, they set up accounts on the platform that mimicked the behavior of typical boys living in the U.S. The account that clicked on YouTube’s suggestions was soon flooded with graphic videos about school shootings, tactical gun training videos …

YouTube child data gathering faces UK scrutiny after complaint
2 years ago

YouTube child data gathering faces UK scrutiny after complaint

Firstpost  

London: Britain’s information regulator said on Wednesday it would look into an official complaint accusing Alphabet Inc’s YouTube of illegally collecting data from millions of children. The complaint lodged by father-of-three Duncan McCann, who is leading the campaign and supported by his employer the advocacy group 5Rights, said the video-streaming platform had broken the newly implemented law by gathering “the …

Google, YouTube content providers must face U.S. children's privacy lawsuit
2 years, 2 months ago

Google, YouTube content providers must face U.S. children's privacy lawsuit

The Hindu  

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday revived a lawsuit accusing Alphabet Inc.'s Google and several other companies of violating the privacy of children under age 13 by tracking their YouTube activity without parental consent, in order to send them targeted advertising. The lawsuit alleged that Google's data collection violated similar state laws, and that YouTube content providers such as Hasbro …

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram
3 years, 9 months ago

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram

NPR  

Parents To Facebook: Don't Make A Kid-Only Instagram, Just A Better Instagram Enlarge this image toggle caption Rick Bowmer/AP Rick Bowmer/AP Social media companies prohibit kids under 13 from signing up because of federal privacy law. Parents say struggles with social apps start at early age Parents say Zuckerberg is right: many kids are going on social media, despite the …

Lawmakers call YouTube Kids a ‘wasteland of vapid’ content
3 years, 11 months ago

Lawmakers call YouTube Kids a ‘wasteland of vapid’ content

Associated Press  

A House subcommittee is investigating YouTube Kids, saying the Google-owned video service feeds children inappropriate material in “a wasteland of vapid, consumerist content” so it can serve them ads. “We’ve made significant investments in the YouTube Kids app to make it safer and to serve more educational and enriching content for kids, based on principles developed with experts and parents,” …

Lawmakers call YouTube Kids a ‘wasteland of vapid’ content
3 years, 11 months ago

Lawmakers call YouTube Kids a ‘wasteland of vapid’ content

LA Times  

A congressional investigation into YouTube Kids comes a year into the pandemic that has shuttered schools and left parents who are working from home increasingly reliant on internet services to keep kids occupied. A House subcommittee is investigating YouTube Kids, saying the Google-owned video service feeds children inappropriate material in “a wasteland of vapid, consumerist content” so it can serve …

Parents, what are your kids watching on YouTube? Ads, study finds
4 years, 4 months ago

Parents, what are your kids watching on YouTube? Ads, study finds

Al Jazeera  

A new study finds that one in five YouTube videos watched by kids age eight and under contained ads that were not age-appropriate. Some 95 percent of videos aimed at children ages eight and younger on YouTube contain ads, and many of those are hawking products for a much older audience, including whiskey, lingerie and violent video games, according to …

YouTube to auto-block videos violating age restrictions
4 years, 6 months ago

YouTube to auto-block videos violating age restrictions

The Hindu  

YouTube on Tuesday said it will use machine learning to automatically restrict videos that are not appropriate for a section of its users. “Going forward, we will build on our approach of using machine learning to detect content for review, by developing and adapting our technology to help us automatically apply age-restrictions,” YouTube said in a blog post. Creators need …

YouTube sued with a $3 billion lawsuit in UK over children’s privacy
4 years, 6 months ago

YouTube sued with a $3 billion lawsuit in UK over children’s privacy

The Hindu  

A lawsuit has been filed against YouTube alleging that the platform violated privacy laws in the country by tracking children online. The case filed on behalf of over 5 million British children, under the age of 13, says that Google-owned YouTube unlawfully targeted young children with addictive programming and harvested their data for advertisers. “They do all this without getting …

Children Stream on Twitch—Where Potential Predators Find Them
55 years, 2 months ago

Children Stream on Twitch—Where Potential Predators Find Them

Wired  

Last weekend, a young girl held up her smartphone and hit the Go Live button on Twitch’s mobile app. But a WIRED investigation turned up dozens of Twitch accounts seemingly operated by children under that age, including another girl who admitted to being 11. In their videos, which crop up every few minutes under Twitch’s Just Chatting section, apparent children …

How Likely Is It That I’m Seeing Actual Kids When I Watch “Barely Legal” Videos Online?
5 years, 1 month ago

How Likely Is It That I’m Seeing Actual Kids When I Watch “Barely Legal” Videos Online?

Slate  

How to Do It is Slate’s sex advice column. BuzzFeed recently published a story about questionable material showing up on TikTok in India, and I’ve read stories about Snapchat being used to exchange child sex abuse material as well. He said attempts to upload illegal content on xHamster are rare: “We only see about one attempt to upload illegal content …

Children filming themselves in graphic sexual videos for 'likes' online in growing trend
5 years, 2 months ago

Children filming themselves in graphic sexual videos for 'likes' online in growing trend

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A third of child sex abuse images are originally posted …

The YouTube stars your kids love and you've never heard of
5 years, 3 months ago

The YouTube stars your kids love and you've never heard of

ABC  

To primary school-aged kids, Sabre Norris is a superstar. Following: 3.42 million subscribers, 950 million + views My kids' take: "They make kids laugh, they're crazy, loud, and have lots of drama in their lives." Following: 10.4 million subscribers, 2 billion + views My kids' take: "She's most popular with kids around four-six. Following: 4.7 million subscribers, 770 million + …

YouTube is still not doing enough to remove harmful comments from videos for kids: Report
5 years, 6 months ago

YouTube is still not doing enough to remove harmful comments from videos for kids: Report

Firstpost  

YouTube had promised to remove all predatory and harmful comments on content for kids. Earlier this year, YouTube promised to remove disturbing or harmful recommendations and comments from videos for and featuring kids. As per the report, YouTube has said that it has “suspended comments on hundreds of millions of videos featuring minors in risky situations”. The spokesperson further added …

YouTube to pay $170M fine after violating kids’ privacy law
5 years, 6 months ago

YouTube to pay $170M fine after violating kids’ privacy law

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Google will pay $170 million to settle allegations its YouTube video service collected personal data on children without their parents’ consent. In YouTube’s lengthy terms of service, those who are under 13 are simply asked, “please do not use the Service.” Yet many popular YouTube channels feature cartoons or sing-a-longs made for children. The FTC’s complaint includes as …

AP Explains: How YouTube is changing what it shows kids
5 years, 6 months ago

AP Explains: How YouTube is changing what it shows kids

Associated Press  

YouTube is changing what it shows kids. The new business practices, along with $170 million in fines, settle allegations by the Federal Trade Commission and New York state that YouTube owner Google violated children’s online privacy by collecting personal data without parents’ permission. YouTube acknowledged Wednesday that “the likelihood of children watching without supervision has increased” since its founding because …

YouTube will use spotty AI to keep targeted ads off videos for kids
5 years, 6 months ago

YouTube will use spotty AI to keep targeted ads off videos for kids

LA Times  

YouTube will stop selling personalized ads on videos aimed at children, the video streaming giant agreed Wednesday as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. Alphabet Inc.’s Google is one of the most accomplished AI companies, but with so much online content, the technology sometimes falls short, as it did when thousands of videos of the March terrorist …

Google is fined $170m for collecting data on kids
5 years, 6 months ago

Google is fined $170m for collecting data on kids

Al Jazeera  

Google will pay $170m to settle allegations that its YouTube video service broke United States federal law by collecting personal information about children, the US Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday. YouTube had been accused of tracking viewers of children’s channels – by using cookies obtained without parental consent – to deliver millions of dollars in targeted The settlement with …

YouTube to comply with US FTC by reportedly removing targeted ads on child-centric videos
5 years, 7 months ago

YouTube to comply with US FTC by reportedly removing targeted ads on child-centric videos

Firstpost  

YouTube had been mulling over shifting all its children-related content away from the main platform. Most recently, it is being reported that the company is “finalising plans” to end ads on uploaded videos that children are quite likely to watch. As per Bloomberg, this move is quite likely being made to appease the FTC which has recently reached a settlement …

YouTube plans to end targeted ads on videos aimed at kids
5 years, 7 months ago

YouTube plans to end targeted ads on videos aimed at kids

LA Times  

To satisfy regulators, YouTube officials are finalizing plans to end “targeted” The Federal Trade Commission is looking into whether YouTube breached the Children’s Online Privacy Act, known as COPPA. Getting rid of targeted ads on children’s content could hit Google’s bottom line — but this solution would be far less expensive than other potential remedies that aim to placate regulators. …

Parent's ultimate guide to Youtube
5 years, 7 months ago

Parent's ultimate guide to Youtube

Salon  

Smosh, Jenna Marbles, Markiplier — the names may not mean much to you, but chances are your kids are on a first-name basis. If kids don't want to share, get the name of the channel they're watching and watch it later.Watch a few videos by the same creator to get a feel for the content. If she has a YouTube …

YouTube boosting ‘quality’ kids’ videos wreaked havoc on some channels
5 years, 7 months ago

YouTube boosting ‘quality’ kids’ videos wreaked havoc on some channels

LA Times  

YouTube policy bars children younger than 13 from using its main site and recommends children use its YouTube Kids app. In early July, YouTube made a significant change to its software to boost what it deems “quality” children’s content, sending waves of traffic to certain video producers and burying other channels. “Most of the time, we don’t even notice it,” …

YouTube’s Neal Mohan: ‘We’re always going to err on the side of protecting children’
5 years, 8 months ago

YouTube’s Neal Mohan: ‘We’re always going to err on the side of protecting children’

CNN  

Anaheim, California CNN Business — Kids play a huge role in YouTube’s success. “Nothing is more important than making sure that children are protected on our platform,” Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief product officer, told CNN Business at VidCon. “We’re always going to err on the side of protecting children when it comes to any of these product or policy decisions …

FTC to ask about disabling YouTube ads for kids’ privacy
5 years, 8 months ago

FTC to ask about disabling YouTube ads for kids’ privacy

Live Mint  

The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission asked children’s privacy advocates whether having video creators on YouTube disable ads could resolve concerns the site is violating laws to protect kids, according to a person familiar with the conversation. During a July 1 call, Chairman Joseph Simons and fellow Republican Commissioner Noah Phillips suggested the world’s largest video site wouldn’t need …

How to Protect Our Kids' Data and Privacy
5 years, 8 months ago

How to Protect Our Kids' Data and Privacy

Wired  

YouTube is currently under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission following complaints that the platform improperly collected data from young users. For many kids, YouTube has replaced television; depending on how parents use online platforms, children could begin to amass data even before birth. Some preeminent tech figures, such as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook, have …

YouTube Keeps Having to Make Changes to Make Itself Safe for Kids
5 years, 9 months ago

YouTube Keeps Having to Make Changes to Make Itself Safe for Kids

Slate  

On Monday, YouTube announced a handful of policy changes that affect how younger minors use the platform. Children under 13 will no longer be able to livestream on YouTube without an adult clearly present in order to “limit the risk of exploitation.” The Google-owned company, which already bans younger children from having their own accounts, will also limit how the …

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki says borderline videos are a big pain point on the platform
5 years, 11 months ago

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki says borderline videos are a big pain point on the platform

Firstpost  

YouTube, which has 256 million users in India and is a video platform that everyone is trying to beat, is also a place which hosts a lot of problematic content. While one staffer called the condom challenge as dangerous, Wojcicki disagreed and had it taken down as she didn’t want the platform to promote “people putting any kind of plastic …

Young children can easily see disturbing content on YouTube despite age restrictions
6 years ago

Young children can easily see disturbing content on YouTube despite age restrictions

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. "Protecting kids and families is a top priority for us," YouTube said in response to questions about …

Banning comments won't fix YouTube's paedophile problem. Its algorithm is totally broken
6 years ago

Banning comments won't fix YouTube's paedophile problem. Its algorithm is totally broken

Wired  

YouTube / WIRED It has been a terrible few weeks for YouTube. Barraged by successive controversies around conspiracy theories, prank content and most recently the presence of paedophiles sharing comments directing fellow commenters to sexually suggestive sections of videos featuring children, the site has battled to keep its reputation intact. Its most recent reaction is to shut down the comments …

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