YouTube has launched supervised kid accounts across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, allowing parents greater control over their children’s viewing experience.
The rollout comes shortly after the United Arab Emirates announced a social media restriction for children under 15, aimed at limiting their access to online platforms.
The new accounts, integrated into the YouTube app, offer three content settings for parents: “Explore,” featuring educational videos, tutorials, arts and crafts, and dance content; “Explore More,” which also includes gaming and live streams; and a broader setting that allows access to most YouTube content, excluding 18+ or otherwise restricted material.
Parents can also set limits on YouTube Shorts through a built-in timer, including the option to disable the feed entirely. Additional controls include “take a break” and bedtime reminders, disabled comments and content creation features, and no autoplay. Personalised advertising is also not permitted on supervised accounts.
The initiative complements existing supervised teen accounts in the region, which allow older children to explore wider content while giving parents visibility into account activity, including uploads and live streams.