COPPA and YouTube: Answering Your Top Questions
Regardless of your location, you’re legally required to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and/or other laws. You’re required to tell us that your videos are made for kids if you make kids’ content. These changes are to better protect kids and their privacy, and to comply with the law.
Why is it the creator’s responsibility to comply if YouTube is the one collecting data (not the creator)?
- It’s safe or appropriate for everyone to watch (aka it’s “family friendly”)
- It covers an activity that’s traditionally associated with children
- Children may incidentally see it
Here are some examples of the types of videos that could be considered “general audience”, in the absence of information suggesting an intent to target kids:
- A DIY video teaching hobbyists how to remake dolls or to make clay figures
- A family vlog about an amusement park visit
- A video featuring detailed instructions around creating mods
- A satirical video with adults singing along to kids songs
- An animated program that appeals to everyone
- A Minecraft video that includes adult humor
Remember to carefully consider who you’re trying to reach with your videos as you evaluate your content and the factors above.
Here are some examples of the types of videos that could be considered “general audience”, in the absence of information suggesting an intent to target kids.
- A DIY video teaching hobbyists how to remake dolls or to make clay figurines
- A family vlog telling other parents about an amusement park visit
- A video featuring detailed instructions around creating mods or avatars
- Animated content that appeals to everyone
- A gaming video that features adult humor
Can I just add a disclaimer that my content isn’t made for kids?
- The presence of characters, activities, games, toys, songs, stories, or other elements that are particularly appealing to children
- Other statements you may have made regarding your content’s intended audience that differ from the disclaimer (such as those made on a personal website)
Do I need to prove the age of my audience if I don’t have the tools to do so? What does FTC consider as evidence that kids are watching my content?
What features are not available on content that is made for kids, and why are those features not available?
How will recommendations work for made for kids or not made for kids content? Will the discovery of my videos be affected?
This video seems inappropriate. Why is it set as “made for kids?”
When a video or channel’s audience is set as “made for kids,” it indicates that children are either the primary audience of the content or that the video is directed at children. The ability to set the content audience as “made for kids” is available to help creators better comply with COPPA.
We also have systems in place to determine the appropriateness of content on YouTube. YouTube’s Community Guidelines outline what is and is not allowed on YouTube. We invest in the technology and teams that help give kids and families the best protection possible on YouTube. For example, we age-restrict content that is meant for adult audiences but could easily be confused with family content. We also remove this content if it explicitly targets minors and families in the title, description, or tags. If there’s content that you think violates YouTube’s Community Guidelines, you can also use the reporting feature to submit it for review by our YouTube staff.