COPPA Changes to YouTube In 2020 - BoodleBobs Blog

Changes Coming To Youtube In 2020

on 21 OCT 2019 10:45 AM

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO KIDS CONTENT CREATORS ON YOUTUBE IN 2020?

With the implementation of the US COPPA Law. What will happen to kids content creators on YouTube in 2020?

YouTube is referenced as one of the most used websites by children under the age of 12 by a wide margin.

On the question of whether YouTube used under normal circumstances is safe for kids 12 years old and younger, the answer is no. However, YouTube has announced that changes are going to be implemented early in the new year.

This blog post references the following

A Video from BBC Trending,
FFC Summary Ruling Extract
YouTbe Official Blog Post Extract

The video from BBC Trending highlights the fact that cartoons watched on Youtube may not be what they seem. The shock factor imagery in these types of video’s leads to longer view durations, which in turn trigger the algorithm to serve more of the same content.

Its been a big problem for YouTube and for bonified children’s content creators. With European MEME killer ‘Article 13 (now 17 ‘) passed and with the FCC ruling. Youtube is changing and it should happen on or around January the 6th 2020

HOW THIS EFFECTS ALL YOUTUBE USERS

YouTube will have to treat all data from anyone watching children’s content on a YouTube account, as coming from a child, regardless of their age.

THE IMPACT OF COPPA, EXPLAINED BY FAMILY FRIENDLY CREATORS

COPPA is a 1998 U.S. law that restricts operators of websites and online services from collecting the personal information of under-13 users without parental permission.

This video is from various YouTubers discussing and highlighting the problems associated with this subject.

EXTRACTS FROM YOUTUBES COPPA STATEMENT

(6th Sep 2019) IMPORTANT UPDATE - YOUTUBE IS CHANGING!

Following a large settlement with the FTC. In 4 months children’s content will be treated completely differently

FTC – US FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

Google and YouTube Will Pay Record $170 Million for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy Law. FTC, New York Attorney General alleges YouTube channels collected kids’ personal information without parental consent. Read the full statement here

YOUTUBE BLOG STATEMENT (Extracts)

Responsibility is our number one priority at YouTube, and nothing is more important than protecting kids and their privacy.

We’ve been significantly investing in the policies, products and practices to help us do this. From its earliest days, YouTube has been a site for people over 13, but with a boom in family content and the rise of shared devices, the likelihood of children watching without supervision has increased.

We’ve been taking a hard look at areas where we can do more to address this, informed by feedback from parents, experts, and regulators, including COPPA concerns raised by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General that we are addressing with a settlement, announced today.

NEW DATA PRACTICES FOR CHILDREN’S CONTENT ON YOUTUBE

We are changing how we treat data for children’s content on YouTube. Starting in about four months, we will treat data from anyone watching children’s content on YouTube as coming from a child, regardless of the age of the user.

This means that we will limit data collection and use on videos made for kids only to what is needed to support the operation of the service.

We will also stop serving personalized ads on this content entirely, and some features will no longer be available on this type of content, like comments and notifications. In order to identify content made for kids, creators will be required to tell us when their content falls in this category, and we’ll also use machine learning to find videos that clearly target young audiences, for example, those that have an emphasis on kids characters, themes, toys, or games.

INVESTING IN FAMILY CREATORS

We are also going to continue investing in the future of quality kids, family and educational content. We are establishing a $100 million fund, disbursed over three years, dedicated to the creation of thoughtful, original children’s content on YouTube and YouTube Kids globally.

Read the full Youtube blog for more info: An update on kids and data protection on YouTube

OUR OPINION

With article 13 (now known as 17) passing in April. And now settlements with the FTC, YouTube is obviously under the microscope for the wild west of user media that forms a sizable chunk of the platform content.

More countries are lining up to implement similar laws so YouTube is forced to wield the wrecking ball and reinvent itself. All changes, herald cries of outrage from creators, countless of which will be impacted by this massive policy shift and update.

In the last couple of year’s, we have seen Peppa Pig Torture Videos, Fat Spiderman doing things with Princess Elsa and more.

Regulation and accountability are long overdue. YouTube, as always is the market leader. All other social platforms will follow suit and implement similar procedures.

We remain optimistic about the future of the BoodleBobs and for #OC Creators (Original Content Creators).