Google, YouTube unveil new safety features for kids

Google is rolling out a series of updates to YouTube and its search feature aimed at increasing safety for kids and teens on its platforms, the tech giant announced Tuesday. 

The changes include measures to give minors more control over their digital footprint and to further constrain commercial content for children. The rollout follows mounting pressure the Silicon Valley giant has faced from advocacy groups and lawmakers. 

On YouTube, default privacy settings for users aged 13 to 17 will be the “most private option available,” which only lets content be seen by the user and whomever they choose. Teen users can make their content public by changing the default upload visibility setting, according to a YouTube blog post. 

YouTube will also start to remove “overly commercial content” from YouTube Kids, “such as a video that only focuses on product packaging or directly encourages children to spend money.” 

Advocates have warned against commercial content targeting children, especially since it can be harder for kids to decipher or identify advertising. 

YouTube will also be turning on “take a break and bedtime reminders” by default for all users 13-17. The video-sharing platform will also turn off autoplay by default for these users, according to the blog post. 

In the coming weeks, Google will be introducing a new policy that allows people under 18, or their parent or guardian, to request the removal of their image from Google Image results, the company said in a blog post. 

“Of course, removing an image from Search doesn’t remove it from the web, but we believe this change will help give young people more control of their images online,” Google’s product and UX director for kids and families, Mindy Brooks, said in the post. 

Google will also be turning on its SafeSearch, which aims to filter out explicit results, for all existing users under 18 and make it the default setting for teens who set up new accounts. The SafeSearch update will be rolled out “in the coming months,” according to Google. 

The company will also be updating its Location History feature to keep it off, without an option to turn it on, for users under the age of 18 globally. 

“Google’s announced changes are a testament to the growing pressure the company is facing from Congress, advocates and parents to provide a safer experience for young people. It’s also clear these changes were spurred in part by the UK’s Age Appropriate Design Code,” said Josh Golin, executive director of the children’s advocacy group Fairplay. “It is critical that Congress and regulators keep the pressure on to ensure these changes are implemented effectively and transparently. “

–Updated at 2:36 p.m.