The Internet is quite useful to people, but it can be a dark place for children if not moderated. Therefore, citing the safety of children browsing the Internet unknowingly, we’ve seen some major tech companies take the necessary steps to protect their children from unwanted content on the Web. I did. Today, Google is announcing the deployment of highly useful features and tools throughout its products and services to ensure the safety of users under the age of 18.
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Google’s plan for child safety on the internet
The Mountain View Giants recently published an official blog post. It details some of the policy changes and new features that will be introduced to minors in the coming days. The company plans to make significant changes to various products such as search, YouTube and assistants.
First, Google will introduce a new policy that will allow anyone under the age of 18, or their parents or guardians, to request the removal of images from Google Image Search results. It doesn’t completely remove images from the web, but Google believes it will give young people more control over their images online.
Now let’s move on to the new changes that Google plans to add to its products and services. Details of them can be found under the dedicated heading for each product or service.
YouTube
For YouTube, Google Change the default upload settings The most private option available to users under the age of 18. In addition, the company will remove “over-commercial” content and videos from YouTube Kids, Google’s underage-only YouTube platform that encourages children to spend money. In addition, Google will show more prominent digital well-being capabilities to accounts of users under the age of 18.
In addition, Google turns on break and bedtime reminders and turns off autoplay for users under the age of 18. In addition, YouTube Kids adds an autoplay option that turns off by default. Parents can turn on these features if they find it useful for their child.
Search and Assistant
When it comes to search, the company has promised to further improve its SafeSearch option to prevent mature content on the web from being viewed by users under the age of 13.Minors are on by default Protect from adult content On the web. Within the next few months, Google will turn on SafeSearch for existing accounts under the age of 18 and make it the default setting for new teenage users.
For assistants, Google does the same and turns on SafeSearch in your web browser by default on your smart display to protect your child when interacting with shared devices with the Google Assistant.
Location history
Location history is one of the Google account settings that allows users to share their whereabouts timeline with the company to improve service. This setting is already turned off by default for all users, and Google does not offer an option to turn it on for monitored accounts under the age of 13. Therefore, to further protect minors, the company does not allow users under the age of 18 to turn on the above settings without parental or guardian supervision.
Google play
There are millions of apps stored on Google Play, but there are also “teacher-approved apps” that are safe for kids. In addition, in the coming days, Google will add a new safety section to apps to let parents know which apps comply with Google’s family policy.
As a result, app developers need to provide details about the app so that parents or guardians can determine if the Play Store app is safe for their children.
Google Workspace for Education
Google is also adding new management options to help educational administration provide age-based experiences. This allows administrators to limit student activity on YouTube. In addition, the company will integrate SafeSearch capabilities for kindergarten to high school institutions to provide students with a secure Internet browsing experience.
In addition to these features, Google has changed its advertising policy to prevent age-sensitive ad categories from appearing to teens. In addition, the company blocks ad targeting based on the age, gender, and interests of users under the age of 18.
In addition, Mountain View Giants will deploy a new digital well-being filter that will allow parents to block news, podcasts, and specific web pages on their assistant-enabled smart devices.
Regarding the availability of these new features and tools to keep children safe throughout the Google ecosystem, the company says it will roll them out to global users in the coming months. Therefore, if you are a minor parent or guardian, be sure to check when these features are rolled out in the future.
