Google launches safe search engine for kids

Kids and young folks probably shouldn’t be surfing the internet unsupervised but this new search engine could make things a little safer.

Search results in the site are either handpicked and checked by Kiddle editors or filtered by Google safe search.

The family friendly platform blocks explicit search terms in addition to some blacklisted celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, which could lead to unsuitable material, with the engine prioritising results to show safe sites and content that has been written specifically with children in mind. It also serves up pages under specific criteria, with the first three or so coming from sites which are written specifically for kids, as chosen by Kiddle editors.

According to the company, when a child keys a query into the search bar, this tool will yield a few links related to the subject.

Then for search results on page 8 and onwards, Kiddle says that this type of content is expected to appear: “Safe, famous sites that are written for adults, providing expert content, but are harder for kids to understand”. Arguably, Kiddle.co ought to have kid-friendly results for all of these – because there’s nothing wrong with kids making poop jokes or being curious about their bodies in general. Also, reports exist about searches for Vanessa Hudgens revealing “racy photoshoots”.

Also notable are what searches slipped through the algorithm and didn’t get banned: smoke pot, cervix, thot, and taint.

But some results, which may not be suitable for small children, have been reported by some users of the Kiddle site. Rather, Kiddle is a third-party entity that employs Google safe search.

The company said it will not collect any personally identifiable data, and logs are deleted every 24 hours.