YouTube may soon offer a new version of its kid-friendly app which relies on humans instead of machines to help curate content.,
YouTube will soon offer a new version of its YouTube Kids app, which relies on humans rather than algorithms to decide whether or not certain channels belong on the app.
This decision was likely prompted as a response to the recent controversies surrounding YouTube Kids. Last year, it was reported that YouTube Kids was playing host to a number of disturbing cartoons that often featured extreme violence and sexually inappropriate content. Things got even worse when, earlier this year, it was reported that various conspiracy theories had been found on the app.
BuzzFeed News’ source suggests that this human-driven version of YouTube Kids will be available within the coming weeks. They said that YouTube wanted to create a version of its app that parents could feel safe letting their kids watch on their own without having to worry that they are being exposed to inappropriate content.
For its part, YouTube did not deny that the app was in the works, but neither did they acknowledge it.
“We are always working to update and improve YouTube Kids, however we don’t comment on rumor or speculation,” a YouTube spokesperson told BuzzFeed .
If the rumors are true, it would signal an interesting shift in YouTube’s philosophy. Previously, it had placed a lot of faith in its algorithms to ensure that the site delivers age-appropriate content to children. This move may signal that the company is willing to admit that complex algorithms, while useful, aren’t the ultimate solution.
Of course, YouTube’s use of algorithms has been a problem for its main site as well. Over the past year, we’ve seen numerous YouTuber content creators claim that their videos had been taken down or demonetized due to alleged claims of copyright infringement or inappropriate content. Many such content creators reported that their videos had been approved upon review via YouTube employees, signalling that the fault lay with the site’s algorithms rather than the content creators.
As previously stated, YouTube has not commented on the existence of a new version of YouTube Kids, but BuzzFeed’s source says it should be rolling out within a few weeks. Hopefully the platform can take steps to reduce these occurrences.
