Earlier this month, a report said that YouTube was planning on releasing a non-algorithmic, whitelisted version of its YouTube Kids app in the near future. Today, Google confirmed this, announcing new parental controls for YouTube Kids. These new controls can restrict YouTube Kids to only display handpicked videos instead of ones algorithmically curated, as reported by TechCrunch.
Now, when parents disable search on a child’s profile, a new option for “approved content only” can be turned on. This means that a parent can turn search off, and also limit recommended videos to those that have been approved by humans.
There’s also additional ways to customize within the “approved content only” section. Parents can pick from collections of videos that are built by YouTube itself and brands like Sesame Workshop and PBS Kids. These collections are sorted by categories like “arts, crafts & DIY,” “gaming,” and “learning.” Nothing is pre-selected, so parents will have to consciously choose what content they want to add. TechCrunch says a forthcoming version of YouTube Kids will allow for even more granular control, allowing parents to approve individual videos or channels.
YouTube Kids’ expansion of parental controls comes on the heels of several controversies. Last month, a report from Business Insider demonstrated how the YouTube Kids app was suggesting children watch conspiracy theory videos which make claims that the Earth is flat, or that the Moon landing was faked. In 2017, the company came under fire for “Elsagate,” where videos with strange and often troubling content used recognizable Disney characters and superheroes to trick the YouTube Kids algorithm.
There have been numerous efforts by YouTube to tamp down on exposing children to inappropriate content. It pledged to hire an additional 10,000 people to address moderation issues, and said it would no longer allow creators to monetize videos that “made inappropriate use of family friendly characters.”
YouTube Kids’ new whitelisting option arrives this week, with the additional granular controls coming over the course of this year.
