Being online on the internet can prove to be a challenging for a teenager, as concerns about their privacy are at an all-time high. To help protect users below the age of 18, Google has introduced a number of updates and policy changes across their services, including YouTube, Location History, and advertising data.
These changes will apply to all accounts for users below the age of 18 and above the age of 13 (which is the age requirement for having a Google account). They include:
- Google Search: Anyone under the age of 18, or their parent or guardian, can request the removal of their images from Google Image results. Along with this, SafeSearch will be turned on for existing users under 18 and it will be the default setting for teens setting up new accounts.
- YouTube: The default upload setting to the most private option available for teens ages 13-17.
- Assistant: There will be new default protections such as SafeSearch on the web browser on smart displays.
- Location History: Soon, all users under the age of 18 will not have the option to turn on their Location History.
- Play: Google is launching a new safety section that will let parents know which apps follow our Families policies.
- Advertising: Ad targeting based on the age, gender, or interests of people under 18 will be blocked
- Digital wellbeing: In the coming months, Google will introduce new Digital Wellbeing filters that allow people to block news, podcasts, and access to webpages on Assistant-enabled smart devices.
Along with this, Google will also begin rolling out engaging, easy-to-understand resource and materials for young people and their parents to help them better understand Google’s data practices.