Kids these days are well-aware of YouTube and Google, but not everything on those services is appropriate for younger viewers.

As a result, Google plans to create versions of its popular products specifically for consumers 12 years and younger, Pavni Diwanji, vice president of engineering in charge of the new initiative, told USA Today.

Google declined to comment beyond the USA Today article. Reports about such a service first emerged in August.

"We expect this to be controversial, but the simple truth is kids already have the technology in schools and at home," Diwanji told the paper. "So the better approach is to simply see to it that the tech is used in a better way."

The company already targets youngsters with efforts like the virtual Maker Camp, its annual Doodle 4 Google competition, and Made with Code initiative—which allows kids to remotely animate the trees at the White House's President's Park through the holiday season.

It's no secret that children are wild about technology: In October, market research firm Smarty Pants released a list of kids' top 50 brands, revealing that Apple's iPad trumps even the most iconic kid-based brands, including Nickelodeon, Crayola, and Eggo.

But today's youth—brought up on YouTube, game consoles, and mobile devices—are often considered off-limits by tech companies. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires parental consent before sites can collect personal information for children under the age of 13. Sites must also clearly describe in its privacy policy what data is collected, and how it is used. In July 2013, the Federal Trade Commission strengthened COPPA in an effort to reflect the changing online landscape.

Google itself has been caught in the crosshairs of the children-and-technology debate, having to refund $19 million in in-app purchase charges made by kids via Android devices.

But that won't stop the company from trying to raise a new generation of technologists. Google and Diwanji want to coach kids, rather than simply block them from learning opportunities.

There is no word on when Google may start rolling out kid-friendly products, or which ones will be first in line for a makeover.

"We want kids to be safe," Diwanji said, "but ultimately it's about helping them be more than just pure consumers of tech, but creators, too."