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Google Eyes Kid-Friendly Accounts

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Hey, kids. If you're bummed because you're too young to create a Google account, we have some potentially good news.

The Web giant is reportedly working on versions of YouTube and Gmail that are specifically geared towards children. If Google goes through with the plan, it would be the first time the company has offered accounts to children under 13 years old, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed people familiar with Google's plans.

Google declined to comment about the report when contacted by PCMag on Tuesday.

Currently, children are not allowed to sign up for a Gmail or YouTube account because the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts strict limits on how information about children under 13 is collected for advertising. If you're under 13, Google will redirect you to a page stating it could not create your account because you do not meet the age requirement. However, there's nothing really stopping children from masquerading as adults to create an account.

The new system would let parents set up accounts for their children, as well as control how their youngsters use the services and what information is collected about them, so they are compliant with COPPA.

According to tech news site The Information, which first reported on the company's plans to embrace the younger age group, Google has already been working on a kid-friendly version of YouTube. As part of the move, Google will also introduce a dashboard where parents can oversee their kids' activities.

Back in 2011, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg made headlines when he said that kids under 13 should be allowed on the site. But COPPA has thus far stood in the way of any major action on that front.

The FTC updated COPPA in 2012 for the digital age, outlining how websites, apps, and third-party networks should handle the personal information of children. It had not been updated since 1998—before Facebook, Twitter, or smartphones. For more, check out New Rules on Kids' Online Privacy Require Adults to Pay Attention.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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