Any social networking site comment section has the risk of holding harsh and insensitive statements, and in all that chaos, there are always those who add to the mess. YouTube is releasing a setting that would prevent minors from doing so. 

YouTube's Read-Only Setting

At first, it makes sense that YouTube would remove access to the comment section for younger users, meaning that they won't be able to see or publish comments entirely. However, that might not be needed for teen users, who are still considered to be underaged.

The company said that it would work with parents and experts to create more options for the setting, and the latest change would serve as a more appropriate approach for teens who might want to read about other users' thoughts on certain topics.

A letter from YouTube was sent out to accounts that manage a supervised experience on the platform, explaining the new settings where they can choose to disable publishing comments for the supervised account but not the ability to see existing ones. 

"YouTube is a place where young people come to learn, explore new interests, and dive deeper into the things they love. Comments are a much-loved part of the YouTube experience, providing valuable insights for viewers and helping creators engage more closely with their community of fans."

As shown by Tech Crunch, the letter states that children will be able to read but not write comments in the Explore More and Most of YouTube content settings. Live chat is also turned off, and that the feature can be expected in the coming weeks. 

"Explore More" allows kids to view videos that are rated for viewers who are 13 years old or older, and "Most of YouTube" lets older kids access all videos except for those that are specifically labeled as adult-only content. '

Read Also: YouTube to Start Requiring Content Creators to Label AI-Generated Videos

What Are Supervised Accounts?

Supervised accounts on YouTube are the ones linked to a parent or guardian's Google account. They are typically used by children under 13 or certain relevant ages, given that an adult feels that they can explore certain videos on YouTube. 

Through Content Setting, the supervisor would be able to limit the videos and music that the children can play. They can access YouTube through the website, the mobile app, the music app, eligible smart TVs, and gaming consoles. 

There are also a couple of restrictions or features that supervised accounts won't be allowed to participate in such as live streams and creations of Shorts, posts, channels, playlists, live streams, and video uploads.

The account won't also be able to buy channel memberships, creator merchandise, donations for YouTube Giving, movies and TV shows, Super Chat, and Super Stickers. This is likely due to the fact that only adults can set up payment accounts and methods on the site. 

This can be set up for the older ages within the minors age bracket, although there are simpler ways to make sure that kids have a safer YouTube experience, such as using the YouTube Kids app instead.

Related: YouTube Creators Can Now Pause Comments on Their Content