YouTube—YouTube launched YouTube Kids app with dedicated child safety features and parental controls
On February 24, 2015, YouTube launched the YouTube Kids app for Android and iOS, designed specifically for children ages 4-12. The app featured algorithmic and human-curated content filtering for child-friendliness, parental controls including screen time limits, search restriction, and channel blocking, plus age-based content categories. While initially criticized for some advertising concerns and content filtering gaps, it represented a proactive investment in child-safe platform design and COPPA compliance.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Safety | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | +0.664 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (1 signal)
YouTube launched dedicated YouTube Kids app with parental controls and curated content
YouTube launched the YouTube Kids app on February 24, 2015, featuring algorithmically and human-curated content filtering, parental controls for screen time and search restriction, and age-based content categories. The app was designed for children ages 4-12 and aimed for COPPA compliance by providing a separate, child-appropriate viewing experience.