YouTube to crack down on inappropriate content masked as kids' cartoons
Recent news stories and blog posts highlighted the underbelly of YouTube Kids, Google's children-friendly version of the wide world of YouTube. While all content on YouTube Kids is meant to be suitable for children under the age of 13, some inappropriate videos using animations, cartoons, and child-focused keywords manage to get past YouTube's algorithms and in front of kids' eyes. Now, YouTube will implement a new policy in an attempt to make the whole of YouTube safer: it will age-restrict inappropriate videos masquerading as children's content in the main YouTube app.
[...] Also, all age-restricted content is not eligible for advertising, which will undoubtedly hit the wallets of the creators making these videos. While it's hard to understand why anyone would make a video about Peppa Pig drinking bleach or a bunch of superheroes and villains participating in a cartoonish yet violent "nursery rhyme," it's been a decent way to make money on YouTube. Some of these videos have amassed hundreds of thousands (and sometimes millions) of views, gleaning ad dollars and channel popularity.
Check the related videos to see some bizarre clickbait. Some are even live action skits performed by adults.
Are we doing enough to traumatize our kids?
Related: YouTube's "Ad-Friendly" Content Policy may Push one of its Biggest Stars off the Site
Google Fails to Stop Major Brands From Pulling Ads From YouTube
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 11 2017, @08:04PM (2 children)
Most of the weird cartoons and live action videos were evidently made in Vietnam.
The signs are there. Ask me if you are interested.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Saturday November 11 2017, @08:27PM
A lot of stuff is animated in South Korea and some in North Korea:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_animation [wikipedia.org]
http://www.rfa.org/english/korea/nkorea_cartoon-20061206.html [rfa.org]
If you can find a list of mainstream cartoons animated in North Korea, please link it.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday November 11 2017, @08:28PM
https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/01/27/267018900/for-taiwanese-news-animators-funny-videos-are-serious-work [npr.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]