Internet firms have a tough time dealing with the kids issue. The temptation to rope children into brand loyalty is great, but many of the things that are most effective are at least immoral, if not illegal. After all, kids’ brains aren’t fully formed, and they are even easier to manipulate than the rest of us. Still, parents are going to give their kids access to games and videos anyway, and no content company wants to get left behind in that space. So, into this murky world stepped Google earlier this year with its YouTube Kids video tool.
The firm has made some serious missteps in doing so, a coalition of consumer groups, including Consumers Union, charged on Tuesday as it called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate. The group’s letter alleges that Google has engaged in:
- Intermixing advertising and programming in ways that deceive young children, who, unlike adults, lack the cognitive ability to distinguish between the two;
- Featuring numerous “branded channels” for McDonald’s, Barbie, Fisher-Price, and other companies, which are little more than program-length commercials;
- Distributing so-called “user-generated” segments that feature toys, candy, and other products without disclosing the business relationships that many of the producers of these videos have with the manufacturers of the products, a likely violation of the FTC’s Endorsement Guidelines.
“YouTube Kids is the most hyper-commercialized media environment for children I have ever seen,” said Dale Kunkel, Professor of Communication, University of Arizona. “Many of these advertising tactics are considered illegal on television, and it’s sad to see Google trying to get away with using them in digital media.”
Organizations signing the complaint include: the Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Children Now, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Watchdog, Consumers Union, Corporate Accountability International, and Public Citizen.
“Blending of children’s programming content with advertising material on television has long been prohibited because it is unfair and deceptive to children,” the group said. “The fact that children are viewing the videos on a tablet or smart phone screen instead of on a television screen does not make it any less unfair and deceptive.”
An unnamed spokesperson for Google’s YouTube told Reuters that the consumer groups never contact the firm to complain, and that it disagrees with the group’s assertions.
“We worked with numerous partners and child advocacy groups when developing YouTube Kids. While we are always open to feedback on ways to improve the app, we were not contacted directly by the signers of this letter and strongly disagree with their contentions,” a YouTube spokeswoman told Reuters.
But Josh Golin, Associate Director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, said the YouTube app was exploitative.
“There is nothing ‘child friendly’ about an app that obliterates long-standing principles designed to protect kids from commercialism,” Golin said.“YouTube Kids exploits children’s developmental vulnerabilities by delivering a steady stream of advertising that masquerades as programming. Furthermore, YouTube Kids’ advertising policy is incredibly deceptive. To cite just one example, Google claims it doesn’t accept food and beverage ads but McDonald’s actually has its own channel and the ‘content’ includes actual Happy Meal commercials.”
Have you used YouTube Kids? What do you think of it?
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