” Responsibility is our number one priority at YouTube, and nothing is more important than protecting kids and their privacy. We’ve been significantly investing in the policies, products and practices to help us do this. “
– Youtube~Decrypting…bullshit…beep…boop…beep…
” Google has agreed to pay $170 million in fines and bolster children’s privacy protections after regulators found that YouTube violated federal laws by collecting personal data from young users, and using that data to target them with ads. ”
– Stephen Johnson
Youtube has been working desperately to not track your children like a dog.
What with their age restriction to membership being 13 and over and the edition of a kids app…hey wait a second? After recently discussing in my social media marketing course being a curator of YouTube content, it was interesting to read on YouTube’s blog the changes being implemented to address illegally collecting children’s data and targeting them with ads based on their online behavior.
1. New data practices for children’s content on YouTube
Obviously YouTube will no longer be using data collection to target children with ads. Since they don’t technically have accounts for anyone under the ages of 13, in the coming months, YouTube will treat all viewer of content created for children, as children. Viewing of such content will limit data collection to only the data needed for YouTube services to be operational. In addition, notifications and comment sections will also be disabled.
These changes will be significant to kid content creators financially and their ability to analyses their metrics and connect with their audience, so measure need to be taken to enforce these changes to the platform. YouTube’s sophisticated machine learning skills used to profit from kids will now be put to work scanning for videos that are trying to target young audiences, that have not been appropriately categorized by the owner accordingly.
2. Improvements to YouTube Kids
YouTube aren’t going to let a little $170 million slap on the wrist stand in the way of their little cash calves. YouTube want you to feel safe leaving them alone with your kids, so, they’re going increase their promotion of their “Kids Friendly” version platform…for your sake? They’re also trying to improve the quality of content, raising standards of channels that can be accepted on to the platform. Which is good, people have tried sneak some creepy stuff in there. So, good on you, I guess.
3. Investing in family creators
Youtube are aware they’re hobbling a reasonable chunk of their creators so they’re basically giving them a grace period to figure out how to continue to be profitable after these changes are in affect.
They’re also going to spend $100 million over the next 3 years to fund the creation of family content.
4. Training our teams
YouTube share some empty platitudes about children safety and mention mandatory staff training.
Epilogue
Well problem solved. What do you think about YouTube’s plans to keep kids safe on their corner of the interwebs? Do you think $170 million is fair punishment or a slap on the wrist? Share your thoughts with me in our comment section below! Or Share with friends on your echo chamber of choice and tell your friends how dumb I am.
In summation, I think the best way to end this post is on the sage-like words of James Bridle
“If you take one thing away from this, it’s that if you have small children, keep them the hell away from YouTube.”
James Bridle – Ted Talk: The nightmare videos of childrens’ YouTube
If you haven’t watched it I highly recommend it, it’s on YouTube.
Sources
YouTube’s Official Blog
youtube.googleblog.com/2019/09/an-update-on-kids.html
NY Times
nytimes.com/2019/09/04/technology/google-youtube-fine-ftc.html
Big Think
bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/youtube-children-privacy?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
ITS BUSN TIME 