Latest news with #YouTubeKids
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Dark Peppa Pig' horror as fake YouTube videos target terrified kids
Twisted creators on YouTube are taking advantage of Peppa Pig's popularity, leaving children at risk of viewing inappropriate content. The platform removed two worrying examples after being contacted by The Mirror With its wholesome storylines documenting everyday family life, Peppa Pig is a children's TV staple. And there was much excitement recently when fans were treated to the arrival of a new member of the family - a baby girl piglet named Evie. But while the show itself is universally trusted by parents, watching it on YouTube can be a different matter. As a hugely popular cartoon for kids, Peppa Pig has been a target for twisted YouTube creators over the years. This week, a search by The Mirror found a clip called 'MLG Peppa Pig (PARODY)' within seconds, which showed the character holding a machine gun. Made eight years ago, it has been watched 18 million times. A second disturbing creation called 'Peppa does Drugs' showed the pig snorting cocaine. In response to our investigation, a YouTube spokesperson told us "We've removed both videos from YouTube and terminated a channel for violating our child safety policies, which we rigorously enforce. Neither of the videos shared by The Mirror have ever appeared in the YouTube Kids app, our recommended experience for younger viewers. "Our teams remain vigilant, and will continue to take further actions as needed." While YouTube maintains its main platform is not for children, research suggests 80 per cent of 3 to 17 year olds in the UK regularly watch it nonetheless, mainly on their phones and devices. The tech giant says it prohibits content targeting young minors and families, which contains inappropriate themes, with videos flagged and reviewed using a combination of human reviewers and AI. YouTube places age restrictions and warnings on graphic content that doesn't violate guidelines but is inappropriate for users under 18 years of age. Professor Sonia Livingstone, a social psychologist at the London School of Economics and expert on child online safety, told the BBC back in 2017: "It's perfectly legitimate for a parent to believe that something called Peppa Pig is going to be Peppa Pig. "And I think many of them have come to trust YouTube... as a way of entertaining your child for ten minutes while the parent makes a phone call. I think if it wants to be a trusted brand then parents should know that protection is in place." The so-called 'Dark Peppa' videos first surfaced in 2017, when an investigation by BBC Trending unearthed hundreds of YouTube videos that appeared to be episodes of Peppa Pig and Thomas the Tank Engine, but were actually parodies with inappropriate themes. One video appeared to be an episode of Peppa Pig featuring a dentist with a huge syringe. Peppa's teeth got pulled out, and distressed crying could be heard on the soundtrack in the fake clip. Parent and journalist Laura June stumbled across the episode when she was looking for something for her three-year-old daughter to watch on YouTube. "This is not like a video of an animated Peppa Pig getting high with Snoop Dogg (that is also available) made for adults to laugh at," she said. "These videos are for kids, intentionally injected into the stream via confusing tags, for them to watch instead of legit episodes of beloved shows." While some of the videos use the characters in more innocent ways, others appear to be deliberately designed to trick children into watching disturbing content. One channel called "Toys and Funny Kids Surprise Eggs" had a landing page with a picture of a toddler alongside official-looking pictures of Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Cookie Monster, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Elsa from Frozen. However, many of the videos on the channel at the time had titles like "BABY HULK BITES BABY ELSA", "NAKED HULK LOSES HIS PANTS" and "SPIDERBABY CUTS ELSA'S DRESS". Some of the darker ones also depict violence and frightening situations. YouTube said that users can flag any problematic content by clicking on the "... More" button underneath a video and clicking "Report". The BBC report led to the channels highlighted in the investigation being removed - including the one containing the video of fake Peppa visiting the dentist. The company also suggested that parents use the YouTube Kids app, which has a much higher bar for content allowed on the platform. Parents are able to block specific content, set the age level of videos and report videos. YouTube also blocks search queries that are vulnerable to returning mature results.
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Google slashes price of YouTube plan that removes ads for ALL Brits by £60 a year after revealing new ‘Lite' option
There are a couple of downsides though TUBE GOOD TO BE TRUE? Google slashes price of YouTube plan that removes ads for ALL Brits by £60 a year after revealing new 'Lite' option GOOGLE is offering a discounted way for Brits to way to watch YouTube without ads. Normally you'd have to pay £12.99 for a YouTube Premium membership – but now there's a cheaper option. Advertisement 3 YouTube viewers will soon start seeing a new option for cheaper ad-free viewing in the UK Credit: The Sun / Google / YouTube The tech giant has finally launched its YouTube Premium Lite plan in the UK, The Sun can confirm. This discounted plan first launched in the US back in March. And now Google has confirmed that it's finally rolling out to Brits. The Sun can confirm that the offer is now live in the UK, with pricing set at £7.99 a month. Advertisement Read more on Google CHAT'S SO GOOD Text mistake we've all made can now be FIXED after Google makes huge change That means you're paying £5 less each month versus the Premium plan, saving you £60 a year. It'll remove ads on most YouTube clips, but won't take them off music videos. "We've been testing Premium Lite to make sure we have the right balance of features and benefits for those viewers who want to watch most videos ad-free," said Google's Jack Greenberg. "Whether it's gaming, comedy, cooking or learning. Advertisement "For users who want ad-free music on YouTube and YouTube Music, plus offline and background play, we recommend the Premium plan." Google says that ads will vanish from "most YouTube and YouTube Kids videos". Me at the Zoo - Relive the magic of first video ever posted on YouTube Premium Lite will work on any device, including your phone, laptop, and TV. But you might still see ads on music videos, Shorts, and when you're searching or browsing YouTube. Advertisement The US pilot began on March 5, 2025, and now it's rolling out more globally. "We're happy to share that we're expanding Premium Lite to viewers in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Great Britain next," a YouTube community manager explained. 3 Google, which owns YouTube, says it's rolling out the new plan now Credit: Google "We're slowly rolling this out over the next couple days, so hold tight." Advertisement You can check if the new plan is available to you by going to this link. It's still possible to buy YouTube Premium in the UK for the full £12.99 monthly fee. This gets you several additional perks, not least the ability to watch all music videos ad-free. YOUTUBE PREMIUM VS PREMIUM LITE Here are the differences at a glance... YouTube Premium Lite Ad-free YouTube videos (mostly) Ad-free YouTube Kids (mostly) Price: £7.99 per month (Cancel anytime) YouTube Premium Ad-free YouTube videos (totally) Ad-free YouTube Kids (totally) Ad-free YouTube Music app Download and play offline Background Play Price: £12.99 per month (Cancel anytime) Picture Credit: Google / YouTube You're also able to download content for offline playback with YouTube Premium. Advertisement And the pricier plan also gets you the ability to play content in the background. Just last month, YouTube's first-ever video reached its 20-year anniversary. And the streaming giant recently confirmed plans to showcase a major sports event for free. 3 YouTube has started offering a cheaper alternative to its main YouTube Premium plan Credit: Google / YouTube
The Irish Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Google slashes price of YouTube plan that removes ads for ALL Brits by £60 a year after revealing new ‘Lite' option
GOOGLE is offering a discounted way for Brits to way to watch YouTube without ads. Normally you'd have to pay £12.99 for a YouTube Premium membership – but now there's a cheaper option. Advertisement 3 YouTube viewers will soon start seeing a new option for cheaper ad-free viewing in the UK Credit: The Sun / Google / YouTube The tech giant has finally launched its YouTube Premium Lite plan in the UK, The Sun can confirm. This discounted plan first launched in the US back in March. And now Google has confirmed that it's finally rolling out to Brits. The Sun can confirm that the offer is now live in the UK, with pricing set at £7.99 a month. Advertisement Read more on Google That means you're paying £5 less each month versus the Premium plan, saving you £60 a year. It'll remove ads on most YouTube clips, but won't take them off music videos. "We've been testing Premium Lite to make sure we have the right balance of features and benefits for those viewers who want to watch most videos ad-free," said Google's Jack Greenberg. "Whether it's gaming, comedy, cooking or learning. Advertisement Most read in Tech "For users who want ad-free music on YouTube and YouTube Music, plus offline and background play, we recommend the Premium plan." Google says that ads will vanish from "most YouTube and YouTube Kids videos". Me at the Zoo - Relive the magic of first video ever posted on YouTube Premium Lite will work on any device, including your phone, laptop, and TV. But you might still see ads on music videos, Shorts, and when you're searching or browsing YouTube. Advertisement The US pilot began on March 5, 2025, and now it's rolling out more globally. "We're happy to share that we're expanding Premium Lite to viewers in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Great Britain next ," a YouTube community manager explained. 3 Google, which owns YouTube, says it's rolling out the new plan now Credit: Google "We're slowly rolling this out over the next couple days, so hold tight." Advertisement You can check if the new plan is available to you by going to this It's still possible to buy YouTube Premium in the UK for the full £12.99 monthly fee. This gets you several additional perks, not least the ability to watch all music videos ad-free. YOUTUBE PREMIUM VS PREMIUM LITE Here are the differences at a glance... YouTube Premium Lite Ad-free YouTube videos (mostly) Ad-free YouTube Kids (mostly) Price: £7.99 per month (Cancel anytime) YouTube Premium Ad-free YouTube videos (totally) Ad-free YouTube Kids (totally) Ad-free YouTube Music app Download and play offline Background Play Price: £12.99 per month (Cancel anytime) Picture Credit: Google / YouTube You're also able to download content for offline playback with YouTube Premium. Advertisement And the pricier plan also gets you the ability to play content in the background. Just last month, YouTube's And the streaming giant recently confirmed plans to 3 YouTube has started offering a cheaper alternative to its main YouTube Premium plan Credit: Google / YouTube Advertisement
Business Insider
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
A YouTube alum's next move: turning viral cartoons into big business
An early architect of YouTube Kids has launched a new startup aiming to turn animated characters born on social media into global franchises. Visional Pop will invest in and partner with animation creators, including those making comic-style and short-form videos on X and Instagram. It plans to help creators cultivate a presence on YouTube and other platforms and monetize mostly via consumer products, including toys and apparel. Visional Pop was founded by Ben Grubbs, a YouTube and Turner Broadcasting alum and longtime investor in the creator economy. A firm he cofounded, Creator Sports Capital, recently led a $45 million investment into Good Good Golf. Shortly after Visional Pop was founded late last year, it acquired YoBoHo — a 15-year-old, Mumbai-headquartered YouTube network that owns and operates over 150 channels in the kids' space. Grubbs declined to share the acquisition price, but said YoBoHo will play a key role in the company's mission. Visional Pop will harness YoBoHo's content distribution and audience development expertise, as well as its production infrastructure, to build YouTube channels for the creators it's working with. YoBoHo reaches more than 200 million unique viewers monthly. In addition to incubating its own channels, it has developed YouTube channels for third parties, said founder and CEO Hitendra Merchant. Selling products is one way creators can turn their content into a big business. Many influencers make money from the sales of items like T-shirts, keychains, and chocolate bars. However, Trump's tariffs have squeezed some pockets of the creator merch industry, such as plushies, and they have had to adapt. Visional Pop will be based in Los Angeles, but Grubbs said he's assembling a team in Japan focused on product design and manufacturing. Visional Pop will announce the first slate of creators it's investing in in the coming months. Grubbs said it's seeking family-friendly characters that appeal to children and adults alike. Grubbs said he's been particularly inspired by the animated character IP market in Japan. One example is Chiikawa — a character that originated on X and has spawned dedicated retail stores in Tokyo. "Our aspiration is to have IP that we develop and that we partner with and invest in that's going to be recognized by our grandkids," he said.
Business Mayor
03-05-2025
- Business Mayor
Google plans to roll out its AI chatbot to children under 13
The chatbot will be available to children whose parents use Family Link, a Google service that enables families to set up Gmail and opt into services such as YouTube for their child. To sign up for a child account, parents provide the tech company with personal data such as their child's name and birth date. Gemini has specific guard rails for younger users to hinder the chatbot from producing certain unsafe content, said Karl Ryan, a Google spokesperson. When a child with a Family Link account uses Gemini, he added, the company will not use that data to train its AI. Introducing Gemini for children could accelerate the use of chatbots among a vulnerable population as schools, colleges, companies and others grapple with the effects of popular generative AI technologies. Trained on huge amounts of data, these systems can produce humanlike text and realistic-looking images and videos. Google and other AI chatbot developers are locked in a fierce competition to capture young users. President Donald Trump recently urged schools to adopt the tools for teaching and learning. Millions of teenagers are already using chatbots as study aids, writing coaches and virtual companions. Children's groups warn that the chatbots could pose serious risks to child safety. The bots also sometimes make stuff up. UNICEF, the United Nation's children's agency, and other children's groups have noted that the AI systems could confuse, misinform and manipulate young children who may have difficulty understanding that the chatbots are not human. 'Generative AI has produced dangerous content,' UNICEF's global research office said in a post about AI risks and opportunities for children. Google acknowledged some risks in its email to families this week, alerting parents that 'Gemini can make mistakes' and suggesting they 'help your child think critically' about the chatbot. The email also recommended that parents teach their child how to fact-check Gemini's answers. And the company suggested parents remind their child that 'Gemini isn't human' and 'not to enter sensitive or personal info in Gemini.' Despite the company's efforts to filter inappropriate material, the email added, children 'may encounter content you don't want them to see.' Over the years, tech giants have developed a variety of products, features and safeguards for teens and children. In 2015, Google introduced YouTube Kids, a stand-alone video app for children that is popular among families with toddlers. Other efforts to attract children online have prompted concerns from government officials and children's advocates. In 2021, Meta halted plans to introduce an Instagram Kids service — a version of its Instagram app intended for those under the age of 13 — after the attorneys general of several dozen states sent a letter to the company saying the firm had 'historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms.' Some prominent tech companies — including Google, Amazon and Microsoft — have also paid multimillion-dollar fines to settle government complaints that they violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. That federal law requires online services aimed at children to obtain a parent's permission before collecting personal information, like a home address or a selfie, from a child younger than 13. Under the Gemini rollout, children with family-managed Google accounts would initially be able to access the chatbot on their own. But the company said it would alert parents and that parents could then manage their child's chatbot settings, 'including turning access off.' 'Your child will be able to access Gemini Apps soon,' the company's email to parents said. 'We'll also let you know when your child accesses Gemini for the first time.' Ryan, the Google spokesperson, said the approach to providing Gemini for young users complied with the federal children's online privacy law.
