SuperAwesome says it's a compliance-minded platform aimed at content producers, not kids
YouTrouble
Back in April 2018, YouTube took a double punch on the chin.
First, a complaint signed by more than 20 advocacy groups was filed at the Federal Trade Commission alleging that the video streaming/social media giant had been collecting data on children's viewing patterns for years. Second, a class action complaint was lodged against the company by a mother and child pair accusing YouTube of collecting information on the boy in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (we covered this case in June 2018).
With all the distress swirling around YouTube (and social media companies generally – it's been a rough year for them), it isn't shocking to find new technologists leaping into the fray to take advantage of the chaos.
Modesty in Branding
In a fit of modest branding, SuperAwesome – a kid-friendly content sharing company that sells itself on its COPPA/GDPR-K compliance – has entered the scene. How does it work?
Well, for one thing, it's not aimed at kids.
The platform itself is meant to be used by content producers and advertisers as a one-stop solution to guarantee that their offerings are compliant and kid safe. That includes managing the portions of the user interface that often stymie companies that offer services for the under-13 crowd, such as age-gates, parent portals and other authentication tools.
The Takeaway
A new offering from the company is its video player, which will allow companies to serve up videos in their own apps and websites without having to go through YouTube. Like its other services, this one is designed with compliance in mind. Other products and services include a kid-friendly ad platform, a social content platform, a GDPR-K guide for children-specific GDPR compliance, a certification program for kids who produce content, and even engagement tools to help brands interact with kids on (you guessed it) YouTube.
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