YouTube announced in September a series of changes would be made to better protect children and their privacy after concerns were raised by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These changes now require all YouTube creators to designate content as Made for Kids or not Made for Kids in YouTube Studio. The change also makes it so anyone watching a video designated as Made for Kids will be “treated as coming from a child, regardless of the age of the user.” From today, the service will no longer serve personalized ads or support “comments, Stories, live chat, the notification bell” and other options on videos designated as Made for Kids.
“We know that these changes may have a significant impact on creators making children’s content, so we’re committed to helping them navigate this new landscape,” said YouTube. “We continue to engage on this issue, including by participating in the FTC’s open comment period. “We know that many creators have provided valuable feedback as well.” Creators will now need to have their channels or videos set to Made for Kids or not. Doing so will determine how content is treated on the video service. Changes were first proposed in June as a way to make the service safe for minors who are at a higher risk of exploitation. At the time, it made it so minors were no longer allowed to livestream unless they accompanied by an adult. It also started disabling comments on videos featuring minors as an “important step to keeping young people safe.”
