Skip to main content

Children too trusting of Google and YouTube, unable to identify paid ads, says UK govt report

Google-Amsterdam-Offices-By-DDOCK-1

A report by the UK’s telecoms and Internet watchdog Ofcom says that children are too trusting of what they find on the web, a surprisingly high percentage of them taking search results on trust, and unable to identify paid ads.

One in five online 12-15s (19%) believe information returned by a search engine such as Google or Bing must be true, yet only a third of 12-15s (31%) are able to identify paid-for adverts in these results.

The report found that the position was even worse with YouTube … 

Only half of 12-15s (52%) who watch YouTube are aware that advertising is the main source of funding on the site, and less than half (47%) are aware that ‘vloggers’ (video bloggers) can be paid to endorse products or services.

Children surveyed were, however, more savvy when it came to online personas. Almost three-quarters of them said that most people behave differently when they’re online, with more girls than boys holding this view.

Reassuringly, 97% of 8-15 year olds can recall advice they’ve been given about online safety, especially when that advice was given by parents, and 84% say they would tell family or a teacher if they saw something online that concerned them.

Via Gizmodo

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel