We’ll change our data practices on kids content so we limit data collection and use. This means we’ll stop serving personalized ads on kids content for all users regardless of age. Advertising that is not personalized, for example ads shown based on context rather than on user data, will still appear on kids content on YouTube.com. In order to limit data collection, viewers will have limited engagement options with kids content, meaning certain features, like comments, may be disabled. Creators will also be required to tell us if their content is made for kids.

These changes will address concerns raised by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding our compliance under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). While COPPA is a U.S. law, we are making changes to our data practices globally – this approach ensures compliance with COPPA requirements, which may be similar to other laws outside of the United States. 

Important note to creators: Creators need to consider their applicable legal obligations when evaluating whether their content may be made for kids, including how the age of a child is defined in their country.

Nothing is changing today, this is just an announcement. We’ve worked with the FTC to give creators 4 months to learn more and adjust before these product changes take effect. We’ll share more over the coming months. 

Creators will be required to tell us (in Studio) when their content falls into a kids category and we’ll also use machine learning to help us identify kids content. Some examples of kids content include videos that have an emphasis on kids’ characters, themes, toys, or games. Note: We still recommend parents use YouTube Kids if they plan to allow kids to watch independently. 

This Help Center article has some information and resources to help creators prepare for these changes. We’ll also continue to share more over the coming months. In the meantime, creators can get in touch with the Creator Support team for any immediate questions. 

YouTube Kids was designed to be a safer and simpler place for kids to explore their interests through online video. These changes aren’t about the YouTube Kids app, but the main YouTube.com experience. We do want to make sure parents are aware of YouTube Kids and its benefits so moving forward, when people watch kids content on YouTube, they’ll see messages directing them to YouTube Kids.

Parents – if you want to let your kids explore YouTube independently, we recommend the YouTube Kids app. YouTube Kids has a full suite of parental controls so you can customize your kid’s experience, create individual kid profiles, block videos or channels, set a timer to limit screen time, and much more. Learn more and check out parent resources here.