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YouTube Kids

Upcoming YouTube Kids version may ditch recommendation algorithms for whitelisted, handpicked content

There’s a vast amount of information on YouTube, ranging from tutorials to reviews to funny pranks and all the way down to content produced for kids. There’s something for everyone, but when you hand a 5-year-old child the keys to all of that, they might stumble on something they shouldn’t. That’s why YouTube Kids was introduced a while back, but the algorithms in that app haven’t proved as successful as the company intended. Now, it seems that YouTube is rethinking its approach.


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YouTube Kids app now supports ad-free and offline videos with Red subscription

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YouTube Kids launched on Android and iOS last year as a portal for kid and family friendly curated videos with strict parental controls and restrictions. YouTube’s paid Red subscription service has just announced that it is adding support for the Kids app, with features like ad-free and offline videos, at no additional cost.


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YouTube Kids finally launches internationally, app now available in Australia, UK, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland

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Having launched in the US back in February, YouTube’s child-friendly video service is making its way across the globe from today. YouTube Kids is now available in the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. The app is free to download on iOS and Android and offers customers a curated YouTube experience with content aimed specifically at children.

In the UK, content will include the likes of Wallace & Gromit, Morph, The Magic Roundabout and Teletubbies among many others. Featured content will differ depending on your region, but the service is essentially the same in all available markets. Since it’s free, the app is supported by ads, but only advertisements suitable for children are shown in the YouTube Kids app. As reported by The Guardian:

“We only show ads that are approved as family-friendly – for example, we don’t show any food and beverage ads – and all ads undergo a rigorous review process for compliance with our policies,” a YouTube spokesperson told the Guardian.

“All ads are clearly labeled and include ad intros. Ads don’t include any click-throughs to websites or product purchase flows.”

Now, parents outside the US will be able to let their kids watch ‘The wheels on the bus’ without worrying they’ll end up following through links and watching something slightly dubious content. On the negative side, undoubtedly, I’ll now have to watch more loom band how-to videos with my 6 year-old.

The app is available to download from the Play Store now, and is compatible with any Android device running version 4.1 or later.

YouTube Kids app contains “disturbing and/or potentially harmful” content, alleges FTC complaint

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Google’s family-friendly YouTube Kids app has been hit with a second complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, this time accusing it of containing inappropriate content, including sexually-explicit language and “jokes about pedophilia.” This follows a complaint last month that the app was “deceptive to children” in the way it mixed ads into the programming.

The WSJ reports that the complaint was sent by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy.

Examples of what the non-profit groups found include: explicit sexual language in cartoons; jokes about pedophilia and drug use; activities such as juggling knives, tasting battery acid, and making a noose; and adult discussions about family violence, pornography, and child suicide.

The group created a video (below) illustrating the inappropriate content found … 
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