YouTube Kids App Receives Update, Adds Content Filter

The Google-owned video sharing website YouTube recently released an update for its YouTube Kids app in order to filter out inappropriate contents. On top of the new filtering feature, the app was also updated with new videos and playlists.

YouTube kids was released in February. The app give children and parents a wide selection of age-appropriate videos.

According to TubeFilter, YouTube Kids added some new content creators with a single aim of creating videos that are suitable for children of all ages. These newcomers include DreamWorksTV and HooplaKidz. Content creator such as National Geographic Kids and Kid President released new playlists that are based on a specific theme.

YouTube also announced that all these videos available on the YouTube Kids app is all available for digital TV services like the Apple TV and Google Chromecast.

For many tech analysts, the most important change imposed by YouTube Kids is the filter that will screen inappropriate contents that young users might access on the app.

Since its launch the app has been on target by some children's advocacy group that question the app's branded content and sometimes age-inappropriate videos. The issue came to the national consciousness and even prompted United States senator Bill Nelson to send an inquiry letter to Google chief executive officer Larry Page about the YouTube Kids app.

YouTube has heard these concerns and now the company is taking actions in order to remedy the problem. YouTube claim that within the next few weeks, parents who install YouTube kids on their devices will receive an instructional message on how to properly flag videos that they think are inappropriate for their children.

A statement posted on YouTube's official blog reads, "We always try to make the videos available in the app family-friendly, but no system is perfect. So if you ever find a video you're concerned about, please flag it. This helps make YouTube Kids better for everyone."