Google is working to develop child-friendly versions of some of its most popular products including YouTube and Chrome, the company has confirmed.
Google is planning to create specific versions of its most popular search, YouTube and Chrome products geared primarily towards children aged 12 and under in a bid to make these products “fun and safe for children.”
Pavni Diwanji, VP of engineering at Google, who is leading the initiative, told USA Today that “We want to lay the foundation right, and then make sure every single part of Google is great for kids. They are the future, so why not give them the tools to let them create it.”
Explaining the reason behind the move, Pavni said that Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second and some of these are surely initiated by children. She said when it comes to the Internet; kids need different features than adults, including more advanced filtering systems and privacy controls. So, keeping this in mind the search giant’s re-vamped products will primarily focus on kids and their requirements.
Diwanji, mother of two, said the company expects the move to be controversial at first, but that these products are already accessible to our children at school and at home.
“So the better approach is to simply see to it that the tech is used in a better way,” she added.
“We want to be thoughtful about what we do, giving parents the right tools to oversee their kids’ use of our products. We want kids to be safe, but ultimately it’s about helping them be more than just pure consumers of tech, but creators, too.”
Google is yet to disclose as on what products it is working on or when they would be launched.
