Massive drop in views on kid channels

MarkRodriguez2012

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CNBC is supposed to be airing a story from the Youtubers perspective on this issue tomorrow. Jeremy Johnston was interviewed. The Daily Caller did an interview with Jeremy Johnston as well. Daily Caller is a conservative media group and they are reporting on how this is excessive government regulation. Hopefully this attention will result in people understanding how culpable Youtube is in this matter. This won't change the permanent injunction, but it could force Youtube to take the hit and not kid creators. This attention will go nicely with all of the attention on DOJ investigating Google for antitrust issues. The days of Google/Youtube pushing people around, particularly the government, is coming to an end.
I hope so, it just seems whenever something happens to Youtube, we're the ones that pay for it. I mean, if Youtube ever gets sued again for whatever reason, creators should basically brace themselves cause some of that hell will be coming their way in the aftermath.
 

morrisoc

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Maybe someone can help me on this?

1. As a kids creator we have the responsibility to designate our content on either a video by video basis or at a channel level. The guidance given in the email from YT says video level is your channel is a mix while the channel level approach is for cases where there is 'a lot of made for kids content'. Based on everyones understanding did the judgement handed down by the FTC actually specify that if your have x amount of content that it kid focused that the channel level loss of features is mandated or was this a YT thing. To cut to it I understand the rev loss is unavoidable however if I was to designate video by video that majority of our content that is for kids (prob over 98%) could we keep the channel features. I know this is reaching a bit but desperate times right ?

2. Anyone know what happens to subscribers? This is not mentioned anywhere. Based again on the channel level designation do we still keep our numbers? Will people (for all the good it will do) still be able to subscribe from the channel page? And given its not expictly said will videos in this system have that feature ?

Fun times . Sigh.
 

Jungle Explorer

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Why is not the simple solution to this problem not for YT to move all kid's content to a separate platform (i.e YT Kids) and develope a different non-personalised ad format for the platform? If there were no kids content on YT Main, then there would be no reason for kids to use it and there would be no chance for them to see a targeted ad. Kids only use YT main, because there is kids content on it. Move it all to its own platform and you don't have a problem with personalized ads being shown to children any longer.
 

morrisoc

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Define kids content'? That is the big issue here, nobody really knows. Yes, there are cut and dry examples like what I make but there is equally as much grey. Who determines this and by what is the big question.
 

MarkRodriguez2012

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Why is not the simple solution to this problem not for YT to move all kid's content to a separate platform (i.e YT Kids) and develope a different non-personalised ad format for the platform? If there were no kids content on YT Main, then there would be no reason for kids to use it and there would be no chance for them to see a targeted ad. Kids only use YT main, because there is kids content on it. Move it all to its own platform and you don't have a problem with personalized ads being shown to children any longer.
It won't help. Kids outgrow that ABC crap really fast and if they see their friends and older siblings and whatnot on the real YT, they're gonna want to watch the real YT, and they will find a way. Do you remember being a kid? At 11 or 12 you'd be laughed at by all your peers if you're only watching YT Kids.

I guess only way to control it is to make it so you can't watch YT at all without an account but that would suck. There are way more non-creators watching YT and those ads than actual creators, especially since creators are too busy making their own content to keep track of others. That's a lot of money they'd lose if the average Joe can't watch the new viral video without having to create an account first.
 

Redterrors

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Why is not the simple solution to this problem not for YT to move all kid's content to a separate platform (i.e YT Kids) and develope a different non-personalised ad format for the platform? If there were no kids content on YT Main, then there would be no reason for kids to use it and there would be no chance for them to see a targeted ad. Kids only use YT main, because there is kids content on it. Move it all to its own platform and you don't have a problem with personalized ads being shown to children any longer.
This is the solution that I would like to see occur, but this is too risky for Youtube. What is important for the FTC Commissioners to understand and I believe at least three of them understand now, is that Youtube is doing everything they can to continue to make money off kids watching Youtube. The vast majority of all views on Youtube come from kids. Youtube is setting up a system where real "kids" content is going to be buried. They have been doing this since July. Kids are still watching Youtube, but they are watching channels that are not actually designed for them. This allows Youtube to continue to play dumb and say, "oh this is a mature channel, kids can't possibly be watching this keep rolling the personalized ads." Youtube could have set up an age gate, required parental consent, or provided an incentive for viewers to actually watch on the kids platform. They chose none of those options and instead decided to put mature/crap content in front of kids. We must continue to push and expose the leadership at Youtube for their absolute incompetence. This type of reckless behavior is beyond a civil fine, we need criminal indictments.
 

Jungle Explorer

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Maybe someone can help me on this?

1. As a kids creator we have the responsibility to designate our content on either a video by video basis or at a channel level. The guidance given in the email from YT says video level is your channel is a mix while the channel level approach is for cases where there is 'a lot of made for kids content'. Based on everyones understanding did the judgement handed down by the FTC actually specify that if your have x amount of content that it kid focused that the channel level loss of features is mandated or was this a YT thing. To cut to it I understand the rev loss is unavoidable however if I was to designate video by video that majority of our content that is for kids (prob over 98%) could we keep the channel features. I know this is reaching a bit but desperate times right ?

2. Anyone know what happens to subscribers? This is not mentioned anywhere. Based again on the channel level designation do we still keep our numbers? Will people (for all the good it will do) still be able to subscribe from the channel page? And given its not expictly said will videos in this system have that feature ?

Fun times . Sigh.
At this point, nobody knows anything for certain, as things are changing on a daily basis. But this much I do know, YT will find a way to make money off of kids' content, so what is happening now, is not the way it will always be.

Let's face it, kid's are the overwhelming majority of traffic on YT. YT knew this and targeted them and this is why we are here today. If YT was a road system, kid's channels were the Interstate Highway of YT and the Ads were Billboards on those Highways. YT has effectively shut down their Interstate Highways with all the things they have done to kids channels in the last week. This means that YT is losing millions a day in ad revenue because nobody is driving down those interstate highways seeing those billboard ads. Does this make sense being put in this form?

Okay, YT is not going to let this go on for long. It takes time to adapt to such a huge change and programing takes a lot of work. But I am telling you that YT has a vested interest to figure how how to get their kid's channels interstate highways and billboards back up and running. Now, just because they can't place Targeted ads on kid's content, does not mean they cannot place any ads at all. YT can still place Contextual ads. YT had no reason to negotiate for Contextual ads before this because the money for Targeted ads was so much better, but now they those are no longer an option, YT will renegotiate ad contracts for the kid's ad space.

So I believe that the Ad revenue will come back for Kids channels eventually. A lot of what YT is doing right now, as far as the features they are turning off, is simply them trying to make it look like they are very proactive in stopping targeted ads to children, because they are under the microscope of the FTC. These features will come back.

I think that they are going about it the wrong way and they are working way harder than they need to. All YT needs to do to solve this whole problem is to move all kid's content off of YT main and onto YT Kids and renegotiate the ad space for Contextual Ads or make it a subscription-based platform. Boom problem solved.
 

Jungle Explorer

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This is the solution that I would like to see occur, but this is too risky for Youtube. What is important for the FTC Commissioners to understand and I believe at least three of them understand now, is that Youtube is doing everything they can to continue to make money off kids watching Youtube. The vast majority of all views on Youtube come from kids. Youtube is setting up a system where real "kids" content is going to be buried. They have been doing this since July. Kids are still watching Youtube, but they are watching channels that are not actually designed for them. This allows Youtube to continue to play dumb and say, "oh this is a mature channel, kids can't possibly be watching this keep rolling the personalized ads." Youtube could have set up an age gate, required parental consent, or provided an incentive for viewers to actually watch on the kids platform. They chose none of those options and instead decided to put mature/crap content in front of kids. We must continue to push and expose the leadership at Youtube for their absolute incompetence. This type of reckless behavior is beyond a civil fine, we need criminal indictments.
I agree that greed is always a motivating factor in all Evil. I think some famous historical philosopher said this a long time ago, but in a different way. ;)
 

dv2000

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At this point, nobody knows anything for certain, as things are changing on a daily basis. But this much I do know, YT will find a way to make money off of kids' content, so what is happening now, is not the way it will always be.

Let's face it, kid's are the overwhelming majority of traffic on YT. YT knew this and targeted them and this is why we are here today. If YT was a road system, kid's channels were the Interstate Highway of YT and the Ads were Billboards on those Highways. YT has effectively shut down their Interstate Highways with all the things they have done to kids channels in the last week. This means that YT is losing millions a day in ad revenue because nobody is driving down those interstate highways seeing those billboard ads. Does this make sense being put in this form?

Okay, YT is not going to let this go on for long. It takes time to adapt to such a huge change and programing takes a lot of work. But I am telling you that YT has a vested interest to figure how how to get their kid's channels interstate highways and billboards back up and running. Now, just because they can't place Targeted ads on kid's content, does not mean they cannot place any ads at all. YT can still place Contextual ads. YT had no reason to negotiate for Contextual ads before this because the money for Targeted ads was so much better, but now they those are no longer an option, YT will renegotiate ad contracts for the kid's ad space.

So I believe that the Ad revenue will come back for Kids channels eventually. A lot of what YT is doing right now, as far as the features they are turning off, is simply them trying to make it look like they are very proactive in stopping targeted ads to children, because they are under the microscope of the FTC. These features will come back.

I think that they are going about it the wrong way and they are working way harder than they need to. All YT needs to do to solve this whole problem is to move all kid's content off of YT main and onto YT Kids and renegotiate the ad space for Contextual Ads or make it a subscription-based platform. Boom problem solved.
Only select few are allowed to use yt kids and traffic is very low there. On yt kids they have to guarantee it is 100% safe on the main platform they don’t.
 

dv2000

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Who else is having traffic drop compared to last week?