Google is bringing a slew of new kid-centric features like parent-controlled watchlists and AI-powered suggestions to Google TV, the latest in a series of efforts from the Android maker seeking to broaden the offerings of its TV operating system for family consumption.
The company said it is adding these features to the kids’ profiles to improve content recommendation and exploration. Parents can push titles directly from their profiles to children’s “must-watch” lists (just tap the watchlist button on the titles they came across and hit add), the company explained in a blog post.
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The company is also introducing AI-powered recommendations for kids – because Google loves AI. Kids can now watch popular shows and movies on the Google TV home screen based on installed apps and parent-defined rating levels. If they don’t like a title that has been recommended to them and don’t want to see it again, they can hold down the Select button and then tap Hide to remove the suggestion from the list.
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The new additions are Google’s ongoing efforts to make its services more suitable for children. Google introduced supervised accounts for YouTube last year that allow children to migrate securely from YouTube Kids to the main YouTube app.
Parents can also set restrictions on content exploration, commenting, or video creation through this feature. It allows guardians to define three levels of access: “Explore” for content suitable for viewers 9 and above; ‘Discover more’ for viewers aged 13 and over; and “Most of YouTube” to access all videos without the age-restricted content.
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The search giant said it will also bring this guided experience to Google TV so that kids can access the main YouTube app with appropriate content restrictions. In particular, when parents set up these accounts under supervision, they consent to the collection and use of data collection from children’s profiles for COPPA compliance — a US privacy law that defines limits for websites that provide services to children.
The company first introduced kids profiles on google tv last year that allows parents to set limits on app access and screen time.
Google said these features are rolling out today on the Chromecast with Google TV (both 4K and HD variants) and other Google TV devices from manufacturers such as Hisense and Philips, Sony and TCL.