Is my AI cartoon Short 'made for kids'? YouTube's factors
YouTube asks every creator to say if a video is made for kids. Its listed factors, why a cartoon character counts, and which production choices affect it.
Maybe, and you decide. YouTube requires every creator to say whether each video is made for kids, regardless of location, and says it cannot give legal advice. Its factors include whether the video features animated characters or cartoon figures that appeal to children, so an AI cartoon often needs careful thought. The page also says that having some of the factors does not automatically make a video made for kids.
Sume cannot make this call for you. What it can do is let you decide the traits on the list before you generate, so the choice is deliberate.
Where does YouTube ask?
In the Shorts flow, after the details screen you tap Select audience and choose "Yes, it's made for kids" or "No, it's not made for kids." The Get started creating YouTube Shorts page describes this step. The audience setting is separate from the privacy setting.
Which factors does YouTube list?
The page says to consider these when deciding, noting that the list is not a checklist where one match settles it:
| Factor on YouTube's page | What you control when making the video |
|---|---|
| Subject matter, such as educational content for preschoolers | The topic of the script |
| Whether the video includes child actors or models | The people or avatars you generate or cast |
| Characters, celebrities or toys that appeal to children, including animated characters or cartoon figures | Character design and prompts for a video model |
| Language intended for children to understand | The script's vocabulary and tone |
| Activities that appeal to children, such as play-acting, simple songs or games | Scenes and action in the prompt |
| Songs, stories or poems for children | The music brief and the narrative form |
| Whether the content is advertised to children | Where and how you promote it |
What are the consequences?
The page says that failing to set content correctly may have consequences on YouTube or legal consequences under COPPA and other laws, and that it is your legal responsibility to designate content accurately. It warns not to rely on YouTube's systems to set your audience, because they may not identify content the FTC or other authorities consider to be made for kids. It also says Analytics is not designed to help determine this.
There is a trade-off. Videos set as made for kids are more likely to be recommended alongside other kids' videos. And on the Enhance your Shorts page, quizzes on Made for Kids Shorts aren't interactive.
How do I plan this in Sume?
Write the target audience down first, then check each prompt against the table. Sume's model docs give you the knobs: the Video Router takes a prompt and an aspect ratio, avatar videos take a script and a ready avatar, and the Music Router takes a prompt where you state genre, instruments and whether there are vocals.
If you run a series with the same animated character, note that the character itself is one of YouTube's listed factors, so decide the setting once and apply it to every episode.
Bottom line
Treat the setting as a decision made before upload, not something to fix afterward. If you are unsure whether your cartoon meets the standard, YouTube suggests seeking legal counsel.
Sources
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