If you create content for YouTube, this video is very important to watch
as it describes changes to the upload process
all of your existing videos, and potentially your monetization.
Hi, I'm Lauren
and I'm the head of Family Partnerships here at YouTube.
I'm going to go through important new requirements for all videos
that you should take action on as soon as possible.
I'll provide some background on what's happening
walk you through a new "Audience" setting in YouTube Studio
and how to use it
and then answer some questions you might have about this update.
Back in September, we shared the steps we're taking
to address a recent settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission
that will help creators comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
known as COPPA
and other applicable laws.
In order to help you comply with the law
we're now required to ask you to mark all of your videos as "Made for Kids" or not.
You know your videos and audience best, so we've launched a new "Audience" setting
that lets you tell us if your videos are Made for Kids or not.
In addition to this setting, we'll use machine learning systems
to help us find content that is clearly Made for Kids.
But, don't rely on our systems to set content for you
like all automated systems, it's not perfect.
If you don't set your audience, or if we detect error or abuse
we may set your audience for you.
But in most cases, we'll rely on your audience setting
to determine whether a video is Made for Kids.
There are two ways to set your audience: at the channel level, or at the video level.
If you know that your whole library of videos is Made for Kids or not Made for Kids
you can set your audience at the channel level.
To do so: Go to "Settings" in YouTube Studio
then the "Channel" tab, then "Advanced settings"
and from there, go to the "Audience" section
and choose an option that best describes your channel.
Doing this at the channel level will apply to all of your older videos too
so we encourage you to set your audience at the channel level as a first step.
>From there, if some of your videos don't align with your channel-level setting
you can mark your audience at the video level.
To mark your older videos as "Made for Kids" or not
go to the "Videos" tab in YouTube Studio, select which videos you'd like to edit
and go to "Audience."
You'll also be prompted to answer this question
every time you upload a new video.
On the "Details" tab on the video upload page
scroll to "Audience," and choose the option that best describes your video.
Note that if you've already set your audience at the channel level
this will be automatically selected for you.
But, make sure to choose the option that makes the most sense for that specific video.
Again, it's incredibly important that you take these steps
to set your audience accurately.
Now, we realize this is a big change
so let's dive in to some questions you may have.
What's considered "Made for Kids" content?
Per the FTC's guidance under COPPA
when deciding whether or not your channel or video is Made for Kids
you should think about factors like: the subject matter of your video
whether children are your intended audience for the video
whether the video includes child actors or models
whether the video includes characters, celebrities, or toys that appeal to children
including animated characters or cartoon figures
whether the language of the video is intended for children to understand
whether the video includes activities that appeal to children
such as play acting, simple songs or games, or early education
whether the video includes songs, stories, or poems that appeal to children
and any other information you may have to help determine your video's audience.
Ultimately, we can't provide legal advice
so we're unable to confirm whether or not your content is Made for Kids.
That decision is up to you, taking into consideration these factors
but we want to help you follow the law as much as we can.
Check out our Help Center, and talk to a lawyer if you're still unsure
whether or not your content should be marked as Made for Kids.
How old is a "kid?"
The age of a kid in the US is defined as anyone under 13
but the age of a child may be higher in other countries.
So, you'll need to consider the factors we just went through that apply to COPPA
in addition to any applicable local laws regarding children.
Note that regardless of where you're based, COPPA generally applies.
Be sure to consult a lawyer if you have questions.
If you set your content as Made for Kids, what does this mean for your channel?
We will start limiting the data we collect on Made for Kids content
to comply with the law.
Because of this, videos that you mark as Made for Kids
will be treated differently on YouTube.
Some features like comments will no longer be available.
Most importantly, those videos won't show personalized ads
so some creators may see a decrease in revenue.
What other features will no longer be available
if I set my content as Made for Kids?
Starting in January, if you mark a specific video as Made for Kids
features like comments, personalized advertising, info cards
end screens, and more won't be available on individual videos.
If your entire channel is set as Made for Kids
your videos won't have any of those features.
Your channel also won't have Stories, the Community tab, the notification bell
and your viewers won't be able to "Save to Watch Later" or "Save to playlist."
Keep in mind that these restrictions are to follow the law.
For a full list of restricted features, visit our Help Center.
What happens if YouTube's systems say that my video is Made for Kids, but I disagree?
Can I appeal?
If you've not yet set your audience for your video
and YouTube has set it for you to comply with legal obligations
you can choose the option that you believe is correct for this video.
If you've already set your audience for your video, and we detect error or abuse
you still have the option to use the "Send Feedback" button if you disagree.
You can find this in your video's "Details" tab in YouTube Studio.
What happens if I mark my video's audience incorrectly?
If you don't set your content appropriately, this may result in compliance issues for you
under COPPA and other laws.
And, if we find that you're abusing our systems
and intentionally marking your videos incorrectly
this may result in consequences for your channel or videos.
We know this won't be easy for some creators
and that this required change is going to take some getting used to.
But these are important steps to ensure compliance with the law.
We're committed to helping you prepare for this transition
so if you'd like to learn more about this new setting
be sure to check out our Help Center.
Thank you for watching.