YouTube Suspends Comments on Videos of Kids
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
March 1, 2019
FILE - This March 20, 2018 file photo shows the YouTube app on an iPad in Baltimore. YouTube says it will turn off comments on most videos that feature kids. The change comes after advertisers began boycotting the site last week in response to inappropriate comments made on videos of minors. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Share

SAN FRANCISCO — YouTube said Thursday it will turn off comments on nearly all videos featuring kids — potentially affecting millions of posts on the site — after reports last week that pedophiles were leaving inappropriate comments on innocuous videos of children.

The change comes as YouTube grapples with moderating content across its platform as concerns about hate speech, violence and conspiracy theories continue to plague it.

“It just makes you wonder, what’s the next thing that going to happen?” — eMarketer analyst Paul Verna

It will take YouTube several months to disable comments on all videos featuring minors, the company said. It already started the process last week when it turned off comments from tens of millions of videos.

Sponsors Pull Support Because of Inappropriate Comments

Advertisers including Nestle, AT&T, and Fortnite-maker Epic Games pulled ads from YouTube last week after the inappropriate comments about children were unearthed by a popular YouTuber and media reports. At least one company, Nestle, was satisfied with YouTube’s response and reinstated ads late last week.

A small number of channels which have videos featuring kids will be allowed to keep comments turned on. But they must be known to YouTube and must actively monitor the comments beyond the standard monitoring tools YouTube provides.

Turning off comments on such a large number of videos seems an “extreme reaction,” said eMarketer analyst Paul Verna. But the issue involves the safety of children, so it makes sense YouTube would want to act quickly, he said.

Comments aren’t the main focus of the video-publishing site, but turning them off will likely diminish the experience for many users and video creators, he said.

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki acknowledged the concerns Thursday, tweeting, “Nothing is more important to us than ensuring the safety of young people on the platform.”

Updated Automated Moderating System

The company said it has also released an updated version of its automated moderating system that it expects will identify and delete two times as many inappropriate comments.

YouTube, like Facebook, Twitter and other sites that allow user publishing, have faced increasing calls to monitor what appears on their sites and get rid of unsuitable content. The companies all say they have taken action to protect users. But issues keep popping up.

Concerns about YouTube comments weren’t even a top priority for advertisers and viewers a couple weeks ago, Verna said.

“It just makes you wonder, what’s the next thing that going to happen?”

DON'T MISS

Will FUSD Trustees Look First Only at Internal Candidates in Superintendent Search?

DON'T MISS

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

DON'T MISS

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

DON'T MISS

Brothers Say They Found Amelia Earhart’s Plane, Will Donate It to Smithsonian

DON'T MISS

These Fresno Eclipse Chasers Are Hoping For 4 Minutes of Darkened Bliss in Texas

DON'T MISS

California Isn’t on Track to Meet Its Climate Change Mandates — and a New Analysis Says It’s Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After a Standout 10-Year Career With the Rams

DON'T MISS

Baseball Superstar Ohtani and His Wife Arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB Opener

DON'T MISS

Terrified Residents of San Francisco’s Tenderloin District Sue for Streets Free of Drugs, Tents

DON'T MISS

If You Want to See the April Eclipse, Make Sure to Protect Your Eyes

No data was found

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

4 hours ago

Fresno Bank Sued. It Allegedly Helped Bitwise Commit Fraud.

bitwise /

5 hours ago

How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers

environment /

7 hours ago

Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration Over Efforts to Combat Social Media Posts

8 hours ago

Putin Extends Rule in Preordained Russian Election After Harshest Crackdown Since Soviet Era

8 hours ago

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

8 hours ago

Trump: Some Migrants Are ‘Not People’, There’ll Be a ‘Bloodbath’ if I Lose

8 hours ago

Tech Lawyer and Philanthropist Nicole Shanahan Rumored as RFK Jr.’s VP Pick

news /

9 hours ago

March Madness is Here. UConn, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina Get Top Seeding in NCAA Tournament

9 hours ago

Crafts Retailer Joann Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy as Consumers Cut Back on Pandemic-Era Hobbies

10 hours ago

Records Show That Valley Children’s Leader Suntrapak’s Pay Exceeds $5 Million

â– Valley Children’s paid CEO Todd Suntrapak $5.2 million in 2021. The hospital also gave him a $5 million forgivable home loan. â– The Va...
Healthcare /

4 hours ago

3 days ago

Realtor Association Settles Lawsuit on Commission Rules. Fresno Broker Fears the End of Market Transparency

3 days ago

Prosecutor Leaves Georgia Election Case Against Trump After Relationship With District Attorney

3 days ago

Rory McIlroy’s 65: 10 Birdies, 2 Tee Shots in the Water, 1 Testy Dispute

3 days ago

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After a Standout 10-Year Career With the Rams

3 days ago

New Book Explores the Myths, Truths and Legacy of the Macho Man

3 days ago

Baseball Superstar Ohtani and His Wife Arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB Opener

3 days ago

India’s New Citizenship Law Excludes Muslims. Here’s What to Know

3 days ago

US, G-7 Allies Warn Iran to Back Off Deal to Provide Russia Ballistic Missiles or Face New Sanctions

Photo of San Francisco 49ers' Arik Armstead

3 days ago

Former 49ers DT Arik Armstead Agrees to a 3-Year, $51 Million Deal with the Jaguars, AP Source Says

3 days ago

Supreme Court Rules Public Officials Can Sometimes Be Sued for Blocking Critics on Social Media

Search