Soon, there may be a special version of YouTube optimised for kids 12 and younger as Google is preparing kid-friendly versions of some of its most popular services, said the company’s vice president of engineering Pavni Diwanji.
However, she did not identify which products Google is focusing for a kid-friendly makeover. Still, it looks like the company will target products that already have wide audiences such as Chrome, Search and YouTube. This issue would be analogous with earlier news that the Internet giant was working on a standalone YouTube project aimed for children under the age of 10. Google plans to start creating the kid-friendly versions next year.
Young children may seem like an unlikely target for the tech giant, yet the company noted that a large number of children are already using Google products. However, when it comes to the Internet, kids need different features than adults, including more advanced filtering systems and privacy controls.
“The big motivator inside the company is everyone is having kids, so there’s a push to change our products to be fun and safe for children. This is perhaps one of my greatest challenges. We want to lay the foundation right, and then make sure every single part of Google is great for kids. We want to lay the foundation right, and then make sure every single part of Google is great for kids. They are the future, so why not give them the tools to let them create it” said Diwanji.
For years, Google has encouraged children to get involved in tech and science through programs like its annual science fair, maker camp, Google Doodle competition and other initiatives that provide funding and resources for kids pursuing education in various fields. It even has a dedicated area of its headquarters in Mountain View known as the “Kids Studio” where employees’ children can go and test out numerous early stage products.