Among the measures, videos uploaded to YouTube by users under the age of 18 will be set to private by default, meaning that they may only be viewed by themselves and users who receive a link. However, the uploader can still choose to adjust the settings, if they wish, to make the content available to the general public.
YouTube will also switch existing settings to disable autoplay and provide young users with break and bedtime reminders to discourage compulsive binge-watching.
Google is also planning to make changes to Google Search. New rules for Google Images will enable anyone under the age of 18 or their parent or guardian to request that their photo is removed from results.
Regarding data protection, Google will switch off location history – without the option to turn it back on – for all underage accounts. Previously, this feature has been limited to children with supervised accounts. Elsewhere, Google will expand the scope of safeguards to prevent...