Youtube has outlined plans to make its video site more kid-friendly and safer for children. Recently there have been growing concerns raised against a growing trend of content on YouTube that pretends to be kid-friendly, but are not.
However, after recent criticism that YouTube is not doing enough to crack down on disturbing and exploitative videos aimed at children, the Google-owned video service on Wednesday announced a five-point plan to “toughen” its approach on family-friendly content.
The new guidelines are:
- Tougher application of community guidelines and faster enforcement through technology
- Removing ads from inappropriate videos targeting families
- Blocking inappropriate comments on videos featuring minors
- Providing guidance for creators who make family-friendly content
- Engaging and learning from experts
These updates come a month after Mashable reporter Brian Koerber’s, expose on Youtube kids,the company’s family-friendly app , showing disturbing videos like Disney characters using rifles.
Koerber’s story was followed by a wave of press attention, including a New York Times feature and a BuzzFeed investigation published Wednesday that uncovered dozens of videos featuring child actors in uncomfortable and even abusive situations. Those videos have since been removed.
To further address the problem, YouTube plans to add more human oversight to its content and also expand its use of machine learning technology and automated tools to detect inappropriate content. As was previously announced, these videos are not allowed to include advertising.
The new guidelines come as tech giants find themselves under intense scrutiny from Congress for the power and influence they have over what billions of people see online. Earlier this month, Google, Facebook and Twitter testified in marathon Senate and House hearings over the way Russian trolls abused their platforms to meddle in last year’s US presidential election. Lawmakers grilled the tech companies over accountability for the algorithms they used.
Regulating family-friendly content isn’t the only thing YouTube is working on. Earlier last week, Google said it’s cracking down on terror videos in an effort to fight against online extremism.
Those extremist videos have landed YouTube in hot water before. Earlier this year, advertisers boycotted YouTube after their ads appeared next to extremist and hate content because of YouTube’s automated advertising technology. Major brands, including AT&T and Johnson & Johnson, ditched advertising on the platform.
However, Ruth Porat, Google’s CFO, said on an earnings conference call last month that most of the advertisers that boycotted have returned to the platform.
