OVERVIEW - Parents should be able to deny ALL YouTube Channels

If you are a good parent, you will have installed the Google Family Link App on Android or Apple to help monitor the websites and content your child accesses.  However, it conveniently does not allow parents to have control of YouTube content even though YouTube is owned by Google and Google created the App.

Your options are either to trust Google's interpretation of what should be restricted or you have to click and approve every single video your child clicks on within YouTube and this is very time consuming and a massive unnecessary hindrance.

What is the change request?

Google must enable a feature that is "Deny All YouTube Channels" by default and then, let the child ask for approval, let the parent check the YouTube Channel and then  decide if they are happy to approve all videos linked to that Channel. This means, for example, they could safely know their child is accessing all videos by National Discovery because they approved the National Discovery YouTube Channel.   

--------------------------------------------------------------
The detail
--------------------------------------------------------------


Why am I addressing this?

I've been complaining to Google Support for a couple of years now trying to get them to admit to this and solve it but they won't. I've even had my 20 year YouTube account permanently removed by them because I complained about channels that were clearly illegal and issuing fake/spam content. It's easier to silence me and scare me than fix obvious problems that would stop them continuing to make money.

I've really had enough  of the obvious lack of care by these big companies so I am going to write a physical letters, try and get noticed and see if they can get their own App to do what Google is refusing to do or acknowledge to the world that they're not going to help parents.

What will I do with this petition?

I want to use this petition as further evidence to Google that parents want change to their Family Link App and how it restricts YouTube content. I will write the physical letters, provide the evidence, send it recorded delivery and CC Microsoft, UK Education Secretary and anybody else I deem of importance and try to get a formal reply from Google to explain why the feature to deny ALL YouTube Channels unless approved by a parent, is not a main feature in their App.

I will show proof of my letter and update this petition with the replies I get from the companies involved.

This Petition + Adolescence = Argument Fuel

I want to use this petition as a means of showing that there are parents out there that share this concern. I also want to mention the recent Netflix show called Adolescence that is spelling it out to the world and now is the perfect time to address this issue. It needs solved and we can't have vulnerable teens going down rabbit holes on YouTube which are affecting their perception of life and damaging their mental state if left to do so.

Is it easy to updated/fix the Family Link App?

Yes. As a developer I know that, even right now, YouTube's own API (a development kit I can use) allows you to query a video and find out what YouTube Channel it relates to.  There is no reason why the Family Link App could not query a video your child is accessing, get the YouTube Channel Id and then query if you, as a parent, have approved that Channel.  It's an easy fix but they won't do it because they want your child loose on YouTube clicking on as much garbage as they can to help with their advertisement pay-per-click revenue.

Who am I?

I'm just a guy, a single dad of 12 years and a concerned parent of a young teen with Autism but I am not shy of self-representation in court and have already done this multiple times. I am happy to sit and correlate, build evidence and spend time fighting if it needs done but I can't do it alone if it looks like I am the only person complaining. All I want to do is work hard, raise my son to be a good person and try and get justice where it's so blatantly being abused. 

Summary

I care that something terrible is happening right now and large corporations are being allowed to mistreat our kids. Even if we want to try and be a good parent and stop them, we can't.  It shouldn't be the option to "Ban your kid from the internet completely to keep them safe". These corporations are pretending they are giving us control but they aren't and children are left in their rooms on a phone or tablet losing their sanity and social experiences because the system is failing them.  It's not trying to encourage or even force parents to do the right thing.

Please, sign this petition and pass it around for parents to sign as I don't know enough people to get this out there.

Your support would be greatly appreciated.