YouTube Kids: campaigners criticise app for its ‘junk food’ videos
The Guardian | Stuart Dredge | 25 November 2015
The YouTube Kids app is supposed to make watching YouTube videos a more child-friendly experience, but two US campaigning groups claim that it is not filtering out promotional videos for “junk food”.
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) have filed new complaints with regulator the Federal Trade Commission, following objections lodged in April when YouTube Kids launched in the US.
Abstract: “Far from being a safe place for kids to explore, YouTube Kids is awash with food and beverage marketing that you won’t find on other media platforms for young children,” said CCFC’s executive director Josh Golin.
“Our new complaints underscore why the FTC needs to stop Google from engaging in what are nothing less than harmful, unethical, and irresponsible practices that target America’s youngest children,” added CCD’s executive director, Jeff Chester.
Chester told the Guardian that his organisation plans to ask European regulators – including those in the UK and Ireland, where YouTube Kids recently launched – to also investigate the app’s relationships with advertisers.
