YouTube has been deceptively showing advertisements and programs that violate the safeguards for kids through its YouTube Kids app according to consumer groups that sent letter to Federal Trade Commision (FTC) asking for an investigation into the app.
The letter was signed by 10 consumer and child advocacy groups saying that the video consumption app disguises ads as user generated videos and fails to reveal the relationship between the app and the manufacturers.
“Many of the video segments endorsing toys, candy and other products that appear to be ‘user-generated’ have undisclosed relationships with product manufacturers in violation of the FTC’s guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising,” said the letter than the groups sent to the FTC on Tuesday.
The app was launched in February for iOS and Android devices in US markets and showed content family friendly videos to watch on the smartphones and tablets. Google had said that it had put the app under rigourous screening process and several ads were banned from the app specially the ones that contained food, beverage, beauty products and video games.
But the app although does not have ads, but has several channels containing such stuff. One of the examples is a 7-minute video of Disney’s ‘Frozen’ characters who appear as dolls inside a toy McDonald’s, eating ice cream and drinking Sprite.
“We worked with numerous partners and child advocacy groups when developing YouTube Kids. While we are always open to feedback on ways to improve the app, we were not contacted directly by the signers of this letter and strongly disagree with their contentions, including the suggestion that no free, ad-supported experience for kids will ever be acceptable. We disagree and think that great content shouldn’t be reserved for only those families who can afford it,” said Youtube in a statement.