{"id":339270,"date":"2017-04-26T02:44:13","date_gmt":"2017-04-25T18:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1481273"},"modified":"2017-04-26T02:44:13","modified_gmt":"2017-04-25T18:44:13","slug":"youtube-kids-comes-to-smart-tvs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/youtube-kids-comes-to-smart-tvs\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTube Kids comes to smart TVs"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

YouTube Kids<\/a>, the application offering a filtered version of YouTube that\u2019s more kid-friendly, is now natively available on the big screen for the first time, Google announced today. Previously a mobile-only application, YouTube Kids\u00a0will now be offered on a range of smart TVs, including those\u00a0from LG, Samsung and Sony, which will make it easier for families with small children to access the service without having to use the app\u2019s built-in \u201ccasting\u201d feature.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the app will come to the following TVs:\u00a0all 2015 \u2013 2017 LG webOS TVs (via the LG content store); all 2013 \u2013 2017 Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-Ray Players (via the Samsung App Store); and, following a firmware update, 2016-2017 Sony TVs (with the exception of Android TV, which is coming soon).<\/p>\n

Now just over two years old, Google also offered an update on the YouTube Kids app\u2019s traction, noting that the app today sees over 8 million weekly active users and has streamed more than 30 billion views.<\/p>\n

The goal with YouTube Kids is to offer a window into the more appropriate, educational and entertaining content found on the larger video-sharing site, without exposing children to the site\u2019s more mature fare.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, unlike the kids\u2019 categories on streaming services like Netflix or Amazon, the content in YouTube Kids\u2019 is filtered by algorithms. And like any technology implemented without human oversight, that means it will sometimes get things wrong. In those cases, parents are asked to flag the offensive video to alert the company and get it removed.<\/p>\n

In addition, parents who choose to turn on the app\u2019s search feature may also inadvertently expose their kids to inappropriate content, for the same reasons.<\/p>\n

The app has faced controversy when its filters fail<\/a>, and this continues today. For example,\u00a0the BBC reported in March<\/a> that YouTube was hosting thousands of videos designed to look like popular kids cartoons, but were actually adult-oriented parodies. The YouTube Kids app filters out some of these sorts of disturbing videos out, the report said,\u00a0but doesn\u2019t necessarily capture them all because of its reliance on automation.<\/p>\n

YouTube Kids has also in the past come under fire from consumer watchdog groups<\/a> who have complained the FTC that YouTube isn\u2019t beholden to the same policies around advertising as TV programmers are, which leads to deceptive ad practices. These groups said that YouTube Kids is filled videos that basically function like TV commercials, but without disclosure \u2013 including those with product placements, host selling, and company-produced promotional videos.<\/p>\n

YouTube toes a fine line between advertising and content, saying in its own guidelines<\/a> that it doesn\u2019t consider a video\u00a0from a toy company a \u201cpaid ad,\u201d and while it\u00a0may show videos of kids eating sweets, it\u00a0doesn\u2019t accept \u201cpaid ads\u201d from candy makers.<\/p>\n

Today, there continues to be a number of outstanding complaints the FTC has not addressed, including<\/a> two<\/a> focused on advertising and a third<\/a> focused on how YouTube and YouTube Kids use influencers to market to children.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

YouTube\u00a0rolled out an ad-free option last summer<\/a>, but it only removes the \u201cpaid ads,\u201d not those\u00a0that fall into this\u00a0gray area.<\/p>\n

In other words, YouTube Kids is just an okay-ish substitute for the YouTube app, and nowhere near as reliable as Netflix\u2019s Kids section for being kid-safe.<\/p>\n

The app still requires parental involvement and monitoring, which\u00a0means you\u2019ll sometimes have to put your foot down on channels that seem to only fuel rampant consumerism in kids by\u00a0encouraging them\u00a0to buy toys. (Or, rather, use this to your advantage to get the kids to do their chores and earn their allowance!)<\/p>\n

With the added support for smart TVs, YouTube Kids is now available on iOS, Android, Chromecast, and now TV platforms in 26 countries\u00a0worldwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" YouTube Kids, the application offering a filtered version of YouTube that’s more kid-friendly, is now natively available on the big screen for the first time, Google announced today. Previously a mobile-only application, YouTube Kids\u00a0will now be offered on a range of smart TVs, including those\u00a0from LG, Samsung and Sony, which will make it easier for families with small children to… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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