Abstract: Drawing upon an observational study conducted by CDF, this report delves into the challenges children face when navigating online content in English, Hindi, and Malayalam on YouTube and YouTube Kids. The report explores the experiences of a child through four hypothetical scenarios, allowing us to understand and identify with their content consumption journeys on YouTube. The report also sheds light on the limitations of child safety measures like content filtering systems, in safeguarding children from inappropriate content, as well as the concerning lack of change in content filtering effectiveness across different languages. There are valuable insights not only for policymakers and civil society but also for media stakeholders and academics within this report. By revealing the shortcomings of current safeguards, the report paves the way for developing more robust digital spaces specifically designed for the well-being of children. We hope this report serves as a catalyst for further discussion and action towards creating a secure online environment where neither language nor geographic location becomes a barrier to child safety.
The YouTube Rabbit Hole Report by Citizen Digital Foundation is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
