Kids Are Three Clicks Away From Adult Content on YouTube, Study Says

Washington Post, By: Caitlin Dewey

A child watching videos on YouTube is an average of three clicks away from potentially disturbing adult content, according to a recent study released by British digital security firm Kaspersky Lab.

The study, released Tuesday to coincide with Europe’s Safer Internet Day, looked at popular children’s programs and the “related videos” that surface with them. YouTube’s algorithms generally segregate these types of content, the study points out, but as in a game of telephone, it’s easy to migrate from innocent content to more questionable fare.

According to the study, a child watching Sesame Street on YouTube could reach an accident video in two clicks. It would take four clicks to get to swearing and nudity from Dora the Explorer.

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