Parental control: New function for monitored Youtubing
YouTube wants to give parents more control over the YouTube activities of their teenagers. To do this, parents must link their account to that of their child.
(Image: rafapress/Shutterstock.com)
YouTube is launching a feature that will allow parents to better monitor their teenage children's online activity. The feature will allow parents and teens to link their accounts and receive shared insights and notifications. The monitoring function is being rolled out worldwide with immediate effect and builds on existing measures for greater protection of minors.
Launched in fall 2021, the Family Center allows parents and teens to link their YouTube accounts and gain insights into their children's YouTube activity, such as the number of uploads, subscriptions and comments. This is according to a blog post by "YouTube Youth" product manager James Beser. Parents and young people also receive proactive email notifications about important events, such as when young people upload a video or start a livestream.
Function requested by parents
According to Beser, the aim is also to turn young people into "informed and responsible digital citizens" in the future. A children's version, YouTube Kids, launched in Germany and Austria in 2017, is aimed specifically at the younger target group, under 13-year-olds. According to Beser, however, parents wanted a function that would allow them to give their older children more freedom in a controlled manner. Although Family Link already offers options for controlling online activities, parents can only see details of screen time.
In addition, safety measures on YouTube are intended to prevent minors from receiving recommendations that could lead to eating disorders or other self-destructive behavior, for example. Only recently, the Federal Drug Commissioner Burkhart Blienert (SPD) called for Tiktok to block all under-12s.
YouTube had implemented safety precautions in 2021 that, among other things, restrict recommendations of videos with content that could be problematic if viewed repeatedly, especially for young people. Since May 2021, a new youth protection law has also been in force throughout Germany, according to which online platforms, for example, request the age of their consumers and in some cases also demand proof.
Under the EU Digital Services Act, platform operators have also been required to take stronger measures to protect minors since February. Porn platforms are also required to prove how they check the age of their consumers.
(mack)