Commentary Addressing Risks and Opportunities Through the Lifecycle of Data, Technology, Advertising and Innovation

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<img class="alignright wp-image-3976 size-medium" src="http://dataprivacymonitor.bakerhostetlerblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/06/social-media-iStock_000036424128_Full-300x166.jpg" alt="Businessman with social media concepts" width="300" height="166" />Earlier this year Google launched an app called YouTube Kids, which it describes as offering “popular children’s programming, plus kid-friendly content from filmmakers, teachers, and creators all around the world.” See <a href="https://support.google.com/youtubekids/answer/6130561?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=6130504"><em>About YouTube Kids</em></a>. In addition to limiting data collection and interest-based advertising to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, YouTube explains that it makes efforts to limit the content available to what is age-appropriate for “younger audiences” through “a mix of automated analysis, manual sampling, and input from our users to categorize and screen out videos and topics that may make parents nervous.” However, they explain that this will not be completely effective, and concerned parents may want to disable the content search function in a <a href="https://support.google.com/youtubekids/answer/6172308">parental settings</a> section.

National advertisers are obligated under the industry self-regulatory rules administered by the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council not to distribute advertising inappropriate for children under 12 or via sites or services directed to children. Google recently informed CARU that it has launched a new tool that can be used by advertisers and other content owners that populate content to YouTube to alert YouTube not to make that content available to users of YouTube Kids, including through its search YouTube function. Click <a href="https://support.google.com/youtubekids/contact/ytkrc">here</a> to request that content be removed from YouTube Kids.

YouTube Offers Owners Way to Age-Restrict Content