Youtube's Policies To Protect Kids

On Mon the New York Times published a damning article detailing how YouTube's recommendation algorithms atomic number 82 viewers with a sexual involvement inwards children from an innocent abode video of kids to non entirely to a greater extent than similar content, but content that is to a greater extent than sexual:

Any private video powerfulness move intended equally nonsexual, perchance uploaded past times parents who wanted to portion abode movies alongside family. But YouTube’s algorithm, inwards business office past times learning from users who sought out revealing or suggestive images of children, was treating the videos equally a finish for people on a unlike kind of journey.

Julia Alexander of The Verge has pointed out that YouTube's Mon update outlining what they are doing to assay to protect kids on the platform, outlining the changes they require hold made over the past times few months.

• Younger minors are non allowed to alive current unless clearly accompanied past times an adult
• Comments are disabled on videos featuring kids
• Reducing recommendations of videos featuring kids inwards "risky situations"
• Requiring users to confirm they are quondam plenty to purpose the platform

Read on to larn to a greater extent than nigh these policies too the steps parents tin require hold to protect their kids on YouTube.

Update August 2019: YouTube volition take misleading content aimed at children with "mature" themes similar gender activity too violence
Update September 2019: YouTube volition process all "children's content" equally if kids are watching

Younger minors are non allowed to alive current unless clearly accompanied past times an adult

YouTube has increased enforcement of the policy prohibiting "younger minors" to alive current without an adult beingness present, using machine learning tools to honor too take alive streams that violate this policy. This is inwards add-on to requiring channels to require hold at to the lowest degree one m subscribers to alive current on mobile devices.

Channels that violate this policy may no longer move eligible to alive stream. And YouTube makes clear that if alive streaming is restricted on your channel, yous are non allowed to purpose a unlike channel to stream.

Comments are disabled on videos featuring kids

In Feb YouTube took the drastic activeness of disabling comments completely on almost all videos featuring kids. This was a blow to channels that had an active community discussing their videos, but predators also used the comments to pose too portion the content, then shutting off commenting was entirely done because it was "critical for keeping immature people safe".

YouTube has also been improving it's automated systems to pose too take predatory comments.

Reducing recommendations of videos featuring kids inwards "risky situations"

YouTube is limiting recommendations of around videos featuring kids. YouTube doesn't define what precisely it agency past times "risky situations", but notes that the content doesn't violate YouTube's policies. They exercise yell that this is to cut down the peril of "online or offline exploitation" of the content, then it's probable that they are trying to pose content that is specially appealing to predators.

They also banking concern complaint that they regularly update their algorithms that pose such content, with the most recent update before this month.

Requiring users to confirm they are quondam plenty to purpose the platform

While YouTube did non yell whatsoever alter to enforcement, but at that topographic point require hold been an increased issue of reports inwards the YouTube attention forum from users who received an e-mail from YouTube Legal Support Team requiring them to submit documents to essay they are non underage.

The minimum historic menstruum to purpose Google products too services (like YouTube) varies past times country:

• Age 13+: all countries that are NOT listed below
• Age 14+: Austria, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania, Peru, South Korea, Spain, Venezuela
• Age 15+: France, Vietnam
• Age 16+: Aruba, Bulgaria, Caribbean Area Netherlands, Croatia, Curaçao, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia

What tin parents do?

YouTube is inwards a hard pose when it comes to content featuring kids. The content itself is commonly innocent too household unit of measurement friendly, but the actions of predatory viewers necktie it to to a greater extent than sexual content.

There are steps parents tin require hold to attention protect their kids:

• If yous simply desire to portion video of your kids with friends too family, purpose Google Photos instead of YouTube. You can easily portion the content with the people yous know, without broadcasting it to the entire world. 
• If yous exercise desire to create videos featuring your kids, require hold the complimentary YouTube Creator Academy courses on making family-friendly content for YouTube too the YouTube Kids app.
• Understand YouTube's policy nigh content that could "endanger the emotional or physical well-being of minors"
• If comments are enabled on your videos, closely review too moderate comments
• Read YouTube's resources for parents too larn how to create out your child's concern human relationship using Family Link

Read: Update on YouTube's efforts to protect minors too families
Update August 2019: YouTube directly removing videos with "mature themes" targeted to kids