YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki defended her company’s efforts to keep violent content off the video platform at the sixth annual Lesbians Who Tech Summit Friday in San Francisco. Wojcicki was interviewed by New York Times columnist Kara Swisher, who took the YouTube leader to task for the platform’s failure to keep dangerous content away from kids. Last week reports emerged that scenes describing how to commit suicide were spliced into YouTube videos aimed at children, only the latest example in a long list of troublesome content plaguing the platform.
“We take kids’ safety incredibly seriously, and I would say that the last two years have really been focused on the responsibility of our platforms,” Wojcicki said. “I’m a mom, I have five kids from 4 to 19,” she explained to the crowd filling the Castro Theatre, one of San Francisco’s oldest movie houses. “I understand kids, and as a parent I really want to do the right thing.”
Following the latest controversy, YouTube again changed its policies regarding content that features children, eliminating comments on videos featuring young minors, or older minors engaged in risky behavior. She said some creators may be upset that their videos won’t be the subject of comments. “This change takes away that ability from people who are innocent,” she said. “But this is a decision we made because we want to prioritize children’s safety.” Earlier this year, YouTube said it would change its algorithm to recommend less content that might be harmful.
Source: YouTube CEO Defends Its Efforts to Reduce Violent Content | WIRED