YouTube boss doesn’t let her own children watch YouTube – yours are fine though

YouTube’s boss thinks the algorithm that shows kids disturbing content and gratifies paedophiles is only OK for other people’s children.

YouTube’s CEO doesn’t let her own children use the platform.

Susan Wojcicki revealed in an interview on Sunday with CBS’ 60 Minutes that she didn’t allow her kids to use the main version of the video streaming site, allowing them only to use YouTube Kids.

“I allow my younger kids to use YouTube Kids, but I limit the amount of time that they’re on it,” the executive said. “I think too much of anything is not a good thing.”

YouTube has come under fire in recent years for promoting inappropriate and sometimes disturbing videos to children through its algorithm. The Kids version of the site, which launched in April, provides a curated experience to children that walls them off from adult content.

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki doesn’t want her kids watching too much of the platform she runs. Picture: Francois G. Durand/Getty Images

In 2017, YouTube was slammed for making money off videos of scantily clad children that had attracted scores of lewd comments. YouTube would run ads on these videos, many of which were uploaded by the children themselves, and then suggest another similar video of, say, a pre-teen in a nightgown.

Advertisers like Adidas, Mars and Hewlett-Packard pulled their YouTube advertising following an expose on the practice by the UK’s The Times.

YouTube’s algorithms have been under scrutiny over the past several years for its ‘rabbit hole’ effect.

The company has since clamped down on search terms that bring up videos of young kids and has eliminated creeps’ abilities to post comments on them.

“Nothing is more important to us than ensuring the safety of young people on the platform,” Ms Wojcicki has previously said.