Pavni Diwanji, Vice President of engineering at Google, is responsible for upcoming company products specifically for kids.
She has told USA today that Google plans on releasing fun and safe products for kids sometime next year.
Keep reading for more.
Although we do not know which Google products will be updated specifically for you, it’s most likely going to include Google’s search and YouTube.
And if this is the case, you can expect the following changes.
YouTube:
The extremely popular video service would most likely get updated with more safety features in a kid’s version. It’s rumored that this new version would be for kids 12 and under.
Google Search:
Like YouTube, a kid’s version of Google’s search would block all the junk your parents don’t want you to see. Also, the current version is made in a way that is specifically helpful for adults. A new kid-friendly version could finally give you the kind of results you want.
So rather than seeing a health care software company after typing “epic website”, you may get Scribble Scoop as your top result on a new kid’s version ;)
What else to expect:
Google is a company that prides itself on coming up with new cool ideas. Now that they are focused on you, there is a good chance your whole computer experience will improve.
Mobile apps, classroom software, games, and e-mail are amongst the many things that Google could improve to change your everyday life.
And finally the bad news:
Although this all sounds very exciting, there is a reason why other companies have not come to your rescue before.
As adults and parents, it’s our job to protect you. And by using some of their products, Google will have the ability to collect certain information about you which, without your parent’s consent, is against the law.
The Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prevents companies from doing this, and also is what discouraged many companies from making products for you before. Not because they want to be creepy and collect all your information (although some do), it’s because correctly abiding by COPPA rules, while still creating hassle free kid’s products, proved to be very difficult for some.
Google feels that they can abide by the COPPA rules while still giving parents and kids great safe products. However, some adults are still not sure about Google kid products, and what it would mean for kid’s safety.
