Youtube has officially banned kids under 13 from streaming “unless accompanied by an adult,” which makes sense but doesn’t address one of the most ethically uncomfortable parts of YouTube, which is parents & businesses profiting from kidshttps://t.co/vhek7464hV

— ?️‍? caleb zane huett ?️‍? (@CZaneH) June 3, 2019

Damning story and revealing exchange: kids vids, unlike "borderline content," are too big to get cut off the recommendation machine. https://t.co/SnPxfxY8DR

— Mark Bergen (@mhbergen) June 3, 2019

"The extraordinary view counts — sometimes in the millions — indicated that the system had found an audience for the videos and was keeping that audience engaged." https://t.co/poNOpcfZgy pic.twitter.com/ekpqPg7mf5

— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) June 3, 2019

"Best minds of our generation" have developed machine learning algorithms that connect pedophiles and amplify white-supremacists, misogynists and anti-vaxxers. Piece says YouTube wouldn't turn off recs because the company said "recommendations are the biggest traffic driver." pic.twitter.com/mrCnkTaHjA

— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) June 3, 2019

Each video might appear innocent on its own, a home movie of a kid in a two-piece swimsuit or a nightie. But each has three common traits:
• the girl is mostly unclothed or briefly nude
• she is no older than age 8
• her video is being heavily promoted by YouTube’s algorithm

— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 3, 2019

YouTube’s algorithm also changed immediately after we notified the company, no longer linking the kiddie videos together.

Strangely, however, YouTube insisted that the timing was a coincidence. When I pushed, YT said the timing might have been related, but wouldn’t say it was.

— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 3, 2019

Advertisers saying this kind of stuff is unacceptable and then continuing to buy ads unchanged is the "thoughts and prayers" of digital media https://t.co/Z5XaYYVa93

— Brian Morrissey (@bmorrissey) June 3, 2019

We talked to one mother, in Brazil, whose daughter had posted a video of her and a friend playing in swimsuits. YouTube’s algorithm found the video and promoted it to users who watched other partly-clothed prepubescent children.

Within a few days of posting, it had 400,000 views

— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 3, 2019

Can recommendation algorithms powered by ML be saved? Totally unclear to me that they can. https://t.co/i8zlFWI6BN

— Annemarie Bridy (@AnnemarieBridy) June 3, 2019

Here we go again.

Advertisers, when will you finally bail on this horrendous platform? When will you demand that they finally clean up their act? https://t.co/fKOTtaDJZg

— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) June 3, 2019

YouTube’s algorithm has been curating home movies of unwitting families into a catalog of semi-nude kids, we found.

YT often plays the videos after users watch softcore porn, building an audience of millions for what experts call child sexual exploitationhttps://t.co/zNwsd9UsgN

— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 3, 2019

Hard to read this and my story about Soph, the 14-year-old hate vlogger who got started at 9, and not conclude @youtube is a danger to kids https://t.co/Ih9TSGeURl

— Joe Bernstein (@Bernstein) June 3, 2019

we all deserve a better internet, where chasing engagement and clicks regardless of user well-being is no longer the default policy

companies, build better products - you're hurting people (even inadvertently) and it has to change https://t.co/JN0uZEweie

— ?ashley ✨#pride ?️‍? (@AshleyEsqueda) June 3, 2019

YouTube's algorithm has been compiling videos of young, partially clothed children and serving them up to people who watch sexual content on the platform. https://t.co/poNOpcfZgy

— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) June 3, 2019

I asked YouTube— why not just turn off recommendations on videos of kids? Your system can already identify videos of kids automatically.

The recommendation algorithm is driving this whole child exploitation phenomenon. Switching it off would solve the problem and keep kids safe.

— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 3, 2019

YouTube isn’t just monetizing the malicious slander of women.
They’re not just radicalizing a generation of young men into extremism.

They are literally turning innocent kids into fodder for pedophiles. https://t.co/0o6olStmli

— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) June 3, 2019

Congratulations to all executives software developers at @YouTube. Your recommender algorithm has figured out how to algorithmically curate sexualized videos of children and to progressively recommend them people who watched other erotic content. https://t.co/eOHScAWomz pic.twitter.com/5oY9ol4Kau

— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) June 3, 2019

YouTube’s algorithm has been curating home movies of unwitting families into a catalog of semi-nude kids, we found.

YT often plays the videos after users watch softcore porn, building an audience of millions for what experts call child sexual exploitationhttps://t.co/zNwsd9UsgN

— Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher) June 3, 2019

If you have young kids, read this. https://t.co/HehrTs1Jzk

— Amarnath Amarasingam (@AmarAmarasingam) June 3, 2019

Congratulations to all executives software developers at @YouTube. Your recommender algorithm has figured out how to algorithmically curate sexualized videos of children and to progressively recommend them TO people who watched other erotic content. https://t.co/eOHScAWomz pic.twitter.com/2tr29zTKCx

— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) June 3, 2019

whatever happened to the twitter account that just tweeted about how all technology is good and it's silly to worry about malign consequences? https://t.co/ZFybn6lEfc

— Ben Walsh (@BenDWalsh) June 3, 2019

EVEN the Failing New York Times is forced to admit, Youtube/Google have been promoting pedophile content on their platforms.

AG Barr is really shaking up the perverted Deep State, their time is drawing to a close.https://t.co/FHnMCi1ndp

— Suzy is NOT a Russian bot (@suzydymna) June 3, 2019

This is appalling https://t.co/sxrGdBrtUC

— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 3, 2019

YouTube is a fascinating moderation case study because you could eliminate the source of almost all criticism by changing a single discrete feature that is not part of the core service but is completely off-limits because it drives traffic https://t.co/dug3vBm0ZL

— Adi Robertson (@thedextriarchy) June 3, 2019

On YouTube’s Digital Playground, an Open Gate for Pedophiles ... yet another example of an algorithm out of control. Via The New York Times https://t.co/afuMn3854y

— Ryan Heath (@PoliticoRyan) June 3, 2019

If Twitch did this we would see Fortnite streams decrease by 80%.https://t.co/MdgtdNxp9k

— G2 onscreen (@onscreenlol) June 3, 2019

YouTube has announced today that they are increasing their efforts to protect minors and families https://t.co/dbHVHcA5b9

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 3, 2019

Here's an overview of everything we are doing to protect minors and families, including limiting recommendations: https://t.co/4gW7qvH9W8

— YouTubeInsider (@YouTubeInsider) June 3, 2019

In response to @nytimes article on @Youtube Child Exploitation, YT posted a new blog entry. They re-affirm their commitment to child safety & go over the new steps they have taken (restricting live features, disabling comments & reducing recommendations) https://t.co/yumFztY4YQ

— Pescatore? (@JoshPescatore) June 3, 2019

YouTube just issued a blog post on the most recent story: https://t.co/wrNLOVFlqR https://t.co/7fNFUqasoX

— Julia Alexander (@loudmouthjulia) June 3, 2019

YouTube pushes children's videos to pedophiles through its awful, horrible, reckless, and highly profitable content recommendation engine. @max_fisher & @amandataub at @nytimes, super important story. https://t.co/ZQXluVcjcg pic.twitter.com/y41G1EpMac

— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) June 3, 2019

YouTube pushes children's videos to pedophiles through content recommendation engine https://t.co/MvtXOuHb5B pic.twitter.com/yQW8Id5V7s

— Masque of the Red Death (@doctorow) June 3, 2019

From the "Holy shit is this wrong!!" files: https://t.co/2TsNgsusa9

— Jason Weisberger (@jlw) June 3, 2019

The video algorithm: Facebook vs. YouTube: https://t.co/GjZ759dgwm #digital #marketing #analytics #alexavery

— Alex Avery ??? (@alexavery) June 4, 2019

The video algorithm: Facebook vs. YouTube https://t.co/WRqDVyzioD pic.twitter.com/X1LHOwx8T1

— John Lincoln (@johnelincoln) June 3, 2019

youtube puts profit ahead of fixing its pedophile problem. it's disgusting. this from @max_fisher & @amandataub: https://t.co/AvJYRyaKMl pic.twitter.com/m95qF8nkxc

— David Farrier (@davidfarrier) June 3, 2019

This story is horrifying. And a clear example of what happens when the creators of algorithms don’t consider negative externalities. https://t.co/GNCw4hhkz5

— Derek Powazek ? (@fraying) June 4, 2019

terrifying. https://t.co/KgFuYQQV2o

— Christina Ginn (@NBChristinaGinn) June 4, 2019

YouTube is changing streaming age requirements. Which doesn't shock me since in TOS you need to be 13 to have an account.https://t.co/t8q1ujtRbJ#YouTube #account

— Andrew Kan (@AndrewKanFilm) June 3, 2019

More info here! https://t.co/t8q1ujtRbJ https://t.co/3iUIInyDOZ

— Andrew Kan (@AndrewKanFilm) June 3, 2019

Tubes bans minors from streaming.https://t.co/TPJUEcgwt7

— LinuxGameCast (@VennStone) June 3, 2019

Powered by advertising - YouTube pushes children's videos to pedophiles through content recommendation engine https://t.co/Y9g8tNCG2p

— Mass. Pirate Party (@masspirates) June 3, 2019