YouTube, Under Fire, Considers Major Changes To Kids' Content

YouTube is considering far-reaching changes to its platform in the wake of a string of incidents that put the video-streaming powerhouse on the defensive. From a report: Executives at the Google unit are debating moving all children's content into a separate product, the stand-alone YouTube Kids app, to better protect young viewers from objectionable videos, say people briefed on the discussions. That would be a seismic and risky switch, as children's videos are among the most popular on the platform and carry millions of dollars in advertising.

Some YouTube employees are pushing for another major modification. They are encouraging the company to switch off for children's programming a feature that automatically plays a new video after one has been completed, according to the people briefed. While that default setting -- known as YouTube's recommendation system -- has helped boost audience hours to new heights, it has also opened the company up to criticism that kids and parents can select innocuous videos only to be automatically transitioned into inappropriate fare. The possible changes, though still under discussion and not considered imminent, would be among the biggest ever for the platform, not least because they would require alterations to YouTube's infrastructure and significant negotiations over the boundaries of children's content.

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