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YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

ftc.gov

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Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#61

Post by [deleted] »

ghastmaster wrote: post #20
oceanghost wrote: post #8

I'd like to make a point here that isn't coming up enough in this conversation. GOOGLE knowingly tracked children, marketed towards them, but somehow the FTC allowed them to transfer liability to their creators. No creator has ever tracked children, and yet, they are liable for Google's actions? What options am I left here? I can't make content for children of even talk about anything that might appeal to a child; I…

"GOOGLE knowingly tracked children, marketed towards them, but somehow the FTC allowed them to transfer liability to their creators." I do not see the the transfer here. Google would still be liable, but able to ban owners who do not properly label their channels. This would protect them of course, but not transfer liability. The FTC specifically mentioned channel owners tracking users via third parties. I did not kn…

[deleted]

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#62

Post by PeterStuer »

The ftc acts as if the content creator is in control: He can choose to monetize his website through YouTube or not. In practice YouTube is a defacto monopoly for these kinds of websites.

Now the creators ask YouTube: please give us an option to have channels that are free of under 13 viewers. It is not my target demographic, and while your own analytics tell me there are a few of those watching, I do not want them here. Either block them or if they show up just comply with COPA and don't track them, OK?

But then YouTube goes: no can do. We either track everyone or no-one, your choice, and BTW n the latter case, we will decimate your revenue. But you are as always free to leave for some other webhost. LOL! Hey, and BTW, if you do indicate that your channel is not directed at kids, you are hereby informed that it is 100% you that is on the line, not us, if the FTC decides otherwise as we do nothing with all that analytics we have to turn away the kids from your doorstep.

So content creators are left up shit creeck without a paddle.

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#63

Post by linguae »

viraptor wrote: post #55
blondin wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you guys remember when old looney tunes and old tom & jerry were appropriate for kids programs? nowadays they are not. a few of them are now on youtube right next to the recent "appropriate" ones. so yes, that line is very blurry...

Why do you think they're not appropriate anymore? Not necessarily disagreeing, just curious about the opinion. There's animated violence, lots of racial stereotypes, unsafe house behaviour, etc. Is it just an overall combination of them that you think is not appropriate, or something specific?

Standards for what is socially considered appropriate for children has changed over time, at least in American society. For example, in one of the DVD re-releases of the late 1960s-early 1970s seasons of Sesame Street, a children's television program that airs on PBS, there is a disclaimer that says that these re-released episodes are intended for adults and not for children due to the changed social norms. And these changes have nothing to do with racism or cartoon violence; these changes have to do with other norms such as children talking to strangers.

This YouTube video has a segment of an interview that discusses this further:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vow6p7uKVw

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#64

Post by johnpowell »

jacobwilliamroy wrote: post #47

> channel owners Do youtube users actually "own" their channels or is this just an incorrect wording? What is meant by "own" here?

It always bugs me when people say "my Facebook" or "my Twitter". I would assume there is the same sort of false ownership thing going on when people say they own the channels.

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#65

Post by ghthor »

mattrp wrote: post #50
crankylinuxuser wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe this is a bit out there as a solution, but you could set up Streama (1) and set up a directory where the videos get loaded in. Then you can allow your children to access Streama and they can watch without worry. (1) https://github.com/streamaserver/streama

interesting solution but for now just turning it off seems to be much preferred. We’ve noticed our kids engage their imaginations and are much better behaved the less time they spend online.

We've noticed the same thing about out 9 year old girl. He behavior radically changes for the worst after shes been watching videos of her choosing from youtube.

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#66

Post by babuskov »

PeterStuer wrote: post #62

The ftc acts as if the content creator is in control: He can choose to monetize his website through YouTube or not. In practice YouTube is a defacto monopoly for these kinds of websites . Now the creators ask YouTube: please give us an option to have channels that are free of under 13 viewers. It is not my target demographic, and while your own analytics tell me there are a few of those watching, I do not want them h…

> Either block them...

Can't you already do this by setting the age rating on your videos?

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#67

Post by morsch »

PeterStuer wrote: post #62

The ftc acts as if the content creator is in control: He can choose to monetize his website through YouTube or not. In practice YouTube is a defacto monopoly for these kinds of websites . Now the creators ask YouTube: please give us an option to have channels that are free of under 13 viewers. It is not my target demographic, and while your own analytics tell me there are a few of those watching, I do not want them h…

I'm sure at least a few gaming related YouTube creators are wondering how this affects them and if a Twitch presence -- which many of them maintain anyway -- isn't a better alternative. YouTube doesn't have a monopoly in that subculture at least.

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#68

Post by thekyle »

Mirioron wrote: post #53
killjoywashere wrote: post #23

99% of channel owners producing content for children know their market includes children; the other 1% are lying. This gives Youtube's army of annotators better basis to flag the liars. Not just that the content is directed to children, but that they are liars.

And if the FTC decides that your Mario speed run is kids friendly, because it has animated characters, flashy graphics, and is related to toys? Speed runs most definitely aren't targeted at kids, but according to FTC rules that could be classified as kid friendly.

This isn't really an area that I'm super familiar with but why wouldn't a Mario speed run be kids friendly? That seems like the type of thing I would have watched when I was 12.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedrun

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#69

Post by manigandham »

thekyle wrote: post #68
Mirioron wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And if the FTC decides that your Mario speed run is kids friendly, because it has animated characters, flashy graphics, and is related to toys? Speed runs most definitely aren't targeted at kids, but according to FTC rules that could be classified as kid friendly.

This isn't really an area that I'm super familiar with but why wouldn't a Mario speed run be kids friendly? That seems like the type of thing I would have watched when I was 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedrun

THe point isn't being kid-friendly, it's whether it's directed primarily to kids.

If it's deemed to be that way (by the FTC or by Youtube) then it overrules what the creator claims and can eliminate their monetization and open up legal risk and fines.

Re: YouTube channel owners: Is your content directed to children?

#70

Post by manigandham »

killjoywashere wrote: post #23

99% of channel owners producing content for children know their market includes children; the other 1% are lying. This gives Youtube's army of annotators better basis to flag the liars. Not just that the content is directed to children, but that they are liars.

That's neither true nor the problem.

The issue is people who are not producing content for children and claim it properly but have that categorization overruled by the FTC or Youtube. This then removes their revenue and incurs legal fines. Youtube is also now doing this with automatic bots that have no understanding of context and comes with a long appeals process.

This severely hurts creators who get unfairly and inaccurately caught up in this while having no control over any of the data collection practices of Youtube which started this whole mess.

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