The Use of Algorithms to Target Children while Advertising on YouTube Kids Platform: A reflection and analysis of the existing regulation

Abstract

This paper examines how the YouTube Kids application uses children’s data and behaviors to publish advertising and to recommend videos through algorithms. The use of internet environments by children is a subject that has been widely discussed. The European data protection law defined a digital age of 16 years in the last revision, with the possibility of adjusting for up to 13 depending on each country’s decision. However, it does not discuss specific rules about the use of algorithms and predictive models with users below the ‘digital age’. The minimum age for using conventional YouTube is 13 years, and YouTube Kids' privacy policy makes clear the use of data and behavior for content display. Based on this context and supported by important references in social studies, this article seeks to understand and discuss this topic and analyses the risks of using children’s data by companies, whether for advertising or service purposes and to open a relevant discussion about state participation in regulation and control when this target is involved.