This is why babysitters need references... According to WaPo, the FTC is investigating YouTube (owned by Alphabet) for violating children's privacy. YouTube has a history of conduct parents wouldn't approve of — and the WSJ reports that YouTube's considering two big changes to try to fix its kid problems:
- "YouTube Kids": Pushing all kids content to a separate children's app, insulating them from vids that would keep you up at night.
- Kill "Auto-play": Parents can put on a wholesome "Dude Perfect" video for the twins, only to be smacked by something totally R-rated right after. YouTube could cut the risk by cutting its favorite feature.
One of the best buys ever: YouTube... Google dropped $1.6B for a budding video website back in 2006 — Today, it's estimated to be worth between $75B and $160B. YouTube says humans are watching 1B hours on it daily, generating billions worth of ad dollars. But it's also been used for child exploitation and can radicalize people.
When kids need regulation, it actually happens... Paralysis in DC is constant. But children's safety is bipartisan. Google could be preempting future regulation by regulating itself for the kids. A couple fresh examples of kid-catalyzed business regulation: