The new YouTube Kids dedicated website that Google recently launched comes with a parental lock.
However, this supposed haven for kids to watch videos can be opened with very easy math questions. The stand-alone app can be accessed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
Easy Authentication Process?
To ensure that kids can only access and watch age-appropriate content on the YouTube Kids website, children above the ages of 4, 7, and 12 or any age specified in the control settings will have to get past an authentication process.
Parents need to set up the mobile version of YouTube Kids and input the age of the child using the app. YouTube will do the rest by showing or suggesting videos that are suitable for their age.
The web version of the app mimics the app and acts as an age-gated website. Before actually accessing the website, children are required to get a parent's permission. Instead of authorizing access to the site with a code or some kind of a password, YouTube Kids will determine if the user is an adult by asking single-digit multiplication problems.
On the authentication screen, the app will specifically instruct to "Get A Parent To Unlock YouTube Kids." Upon clicking the Get Started button the app will ask parents to answer an easy math problem.
The elementary-level math problem can be easily solved using a calculator. Clever as they are, kids can even Google the answer. In short, YouTube Kids strategy of determining whether it is dealing with an adult failed to impress.
“The math problem to unlock YouTube Kids also changes every time you get it wrong and never locks you out. So if I pretend to be a kid who doesn't know math and type the same number over and over again, it will still eventually unlock,” said Josh Billinson, an editor of Independent Journal Review who shared on Twitter his attempt to unlock YouTube Kids.
Expanding Child Safety Policies
Aside from introducing the YouTube Kids website in compliance with Google’s settlement with the FTC, YouTube also expanded its policies to better protect children.
It disallowed content that contains mature or violent themes that explicitly targets younger minors and families in the title, description, or tags.
YouTube said it is removing misleading family content, including videos that contain sexual themes, violence, obscene, or other mature themes not suitable for young audiences.
“Among the examples of content that will be removed will include videos with prominent children’s nursery rhymes targeting younger minors and families in the video’s title, description or tags, that contain adult themes such as violence, sex, death, etc,” YouTube posted.
