Child advocates question YouTube kids’ app content

A group of children advocacy organizations has filed a new Federal Trade Commission complaint saying not only is YouTube's kid-friendly app exposing children to too much advertising, but it's also showing profane and expletive-laden videos.

It was in April when the group filed a complaint about YouTube Kids for the first time. The complaint said YouTube has been exposing children to a barrage of commercials for corporate entities like McDonald's, Mattel and Hasbro. The coalition of eight advocacy groups said that such commercials have violated federal laws against unfair or deceptive marketing.

Now the group has modified its original complaint to make more disturbing allegations, saying that the app has exposed children to ‘explicit sexual language’ presented amidst cartoon animation; videos that model unsafe behaviors, graphic adult discussions about family violence, pornography and child suicide; jokes about pedophilia and drug use; advertising for alcohol products.

The new complaint filed on Tuesday said that it seemed like the design of the app will facilitate access to videos that are inappropriate for children. It said that the ‘recommended’ function on the app is based on the user's search history, and not necessarily on content approved for the app.

A YouTube spokeswoman, whose name wasn't reported, told the Los Angeles Times that the company has taken the ‘feedback very seriously’.

She said, “Flagged videos are manually reviewed 24/7 and any videos that don't belong in the app are removed. For parents who want a more restricted experience, we recommend that they turn off search”.

The organizations that have signed the complaint include the Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Children Now, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Watchdog, and Public Citizen.