YouTube keeps crossing the line as kids allegedly see more ads meant for older eyes

Ads can be pretty pesky and even irritating, but it's a whole new level of rage and fury when kids see ads they shouldn't see at all.

There are indications that YouTube continues to struggle with inappropriate advertisements.

In one troubling case, a Reddit user described how their seven-year-old nephew encountered an explicit advertisement while watching a Fortnite stream by a certain YouTuber by the nickname of Loserfruit.

The child, confused by the content, mistakenly believed that the adult film actor featured in the ad was the streamer herself. The concerned Redditor shared their experience, explaining how the child approached them for clarification after the ad appeared. That's a lapse in content moderation that should never occur.

Even though YouTube users have reported such inappropriate advertisements on the platform, the problem might have escalated significantly in recent months. Reports of inappropriate ads have become increasingly frequent on Reddit.

Beyond problematic advertisements, YouTube is also contending with the presence of NSFW bot accounts that frequently appear in comment sections of popular videos. I mean, is it too much to ask to just watch a YouTube video without encountering inappropriate material?!

When similar NSFW ads were brought to YouTube's attention last year, the company responded by removing them and reaffirming its commitment to stricter content moderation. A spokesperson stated for Android Authority that YouTube enforces "strict policies" against adult-rated ads, removing any that violate these guidelines.

The platform reported blocking or removing 5.5 billion ads in 2023, a slight increase from the previous year, and suspending 12.7 million advertiser accounts, nearly double from the year before.

Google also employs AI to detect and remove inappropriate ads. In 2023 alone, the company claims to have blocked or removed 35 million ads related to financial services, adult content, misrepresentation, and gambling. Despite these measures, the persistence of explicit advertisements suggests that the platform's vetting process remains questionable (at best).

Moderating content at scale is undoubtedly a complex challenge, but if these platforms get paid as much as they do – and they are being paid incredibly well, as you can imagine – they can afford some extra staff to watch things over. Sure, if they go down this road, YouTube might not bring the same revenue tomorrow as it did yesterday, but at least kids won't see ads they shouldn't see.