Frequently Asked Questions

This platform helps parents and guardians evaluate YouTube channels for children's safety and appropriateness. We combine:

• AI Analysis: Using Google Gemini to assess channel content
• Community Validation: Real parent/guardian votes and ratings
• FamilyITGuy Methodology: A proven 1-10 stimulation scale

Currently tracking 12 channels with 3 community votes from 2 users.

Yes, completely free! This is a community-driven project with no subscription fees, hidden costs, or premium tiers.

We believe child safety information should be accessible to all parents and guardians, regardless of their financial situation.

This is an independent, community-driven platform built by parents for parents. We are:

• Not affiliated with YouTube or Google
• Not sponsored by any commercial entity
• Open source - our code is publicly available
• Community-focused - decisions based on parent feedback

See our About page for more details.

We complement, not replace, YouTube Kids:

• Independent Assessment: Not controlled by YouTube's algorithms or business interests
• Parent-Driven: Real feedback from actual parents, not automated filters
• Stimulation Focus: We specifically measure overstimulation using the FamilyITGuy methodology
• Transparency: See exactly why channels are rated the way they are
• Community Consensus: Multiple viewpoints, not a single decision-maker

Think of us as a second opinion tool to help you make informed decisions about what your children watch.

The FamilyITGuy methodology is a 1-10 scale that measures content stimulation levels:

• 1-2 (Calm): Bob Ross-level peaceful content
• 3-4 (Low): Gentle, educational content
• 5-6 (Moderate): Some excitement but balanced
• 7-8 (High): Fast-paced, high energy
• 9-10 (Avoid): Overstimulating, overwhelming

See our full methodology page for detailed explanations and examples.

We use a three-tier system:

1. AI Assessment (Google Gemini):
   • Analyzes 30+ pre-scored reference channels
   • Compares target channel to these references
   • Provides initial stimulation score (1-10)
2. Community Validation:
   • Parents vote on accuracy of AI assessment
   • Weighted voting (unverified=1, verified=3, trusted=10)
   • Consensus builds over time
3. Final Score (0-100):
   • Combines safety, educational value, stimulation, and age-appropriateness
   • Higher scores = safer, more appropriate content
   • Lower scores = potential concerns

You shouldn't rely solely on AI! That's why we have community validation.

Our approach:

• AI provides consistency: Analyzes thousands of channels using the same criteria
• Community provides wisdom: Real parents catch nuances AI might miss
• Together provides reliability: The combination is stronger than either alone

We show both AI and community scores separately so you can make your own informed decision. If they disagree significantly, that's a signal to watch closely.

Always preview content yourself before letting your children watch it.

Channel assessments are refreshed on the following schedule:

• New channels: Assessed within 24 hours of discovery
• Active channels: Re-assessed every 30 days
• Flagged channels: Re-assessed within 7 days
• On-demand: Users can request immediate re-assessment (rate limited)

This ensures our ratings stay current as channel content evolves.

We collect minimal data necessary for the platform to function:

• Account data: Email, username, hashed password (never plaintext)
• Usage data: Votes, ratings, channel views (to improve recommendations)
• Technical data: IP address (for security/spam prevention), browser fingerprint (fraud detection)
• Analytics: Basic usage patterns (what pages are visited, what features are used)

We DO NOT collect:

• Your children's names, ages, or personal information
• Your viewing history on YouTube
• Credit card or payment information (service is free)
• Social media data beyond what's needed for login

See our Privacy Policy for complete details.

We implement industry-standard security practices:

• Encryption: HTTPS for all connections, bcrypt for passwords
• Database security: MongoDB Atlas with encrypted connections
• XSS/CSRF protection: All forms protected against common attacks
• Rate limiting: Prevents brute force and spam attacks
• Regular updates: Dependencies kept current with security patches
• Minimal data: We only keep what's necessary

That said, no system is 100% secure. We recommend using a unique password and enabling email verification.

No, we never sell your data.

Limited sharing only occurs for essential services:

• Email provider (MailerSend): To send verification/notification emails
• Google Gemini API: Channel metadata only (no user data) for AI assessment
• YouTube API: Channel IDs to fetch public channel information

All third-party services are bound by their own privacy policies. We only use reputable providers with strong privacy commitments.

We have no advertising partners and no tracking pixels from ad networks.

Yes, we comply with major privacy regulations:

• COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act):
  • We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13
  • Platform is designed for parents/guardians, not children
  • No child-directed features or marketing
• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation):
  • Right to access: Download your data anytime
  • Right to deletion: Delete account and all data
  • Right to portability: Export data in JSON format
  • Consent-based: Clear opt-ins for notifications
• CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act):
  • We don't sell data (ever)
  • Right to know what data we have
  • Right to delete data

Contact us if you have privacy rights requests.

Browsing: No account needed to view channel ratings and browse the platform.

Voting: Yes, you need a verified account to vote on channels. This prevents spam and ensures quality community input.

Benefits of creating an account:

• Vote on channel safety ratings
• Build reputation through trusted contributor status
• Receive personalized channel recommendations
• Track your voting history
• Flag problematic content for review

Email verification serves multiple purposes:

• Spam prevention: Reduces bot/fake accounts
• Vote quality: Verified voters get higher weight (3x vs 1x)
• Account recovery: Enables password reset functionality
• Communication: Important platform updates

The verification process:

1. Register with your email
2. Check inbox for verification email (check spam folder)
3. Click verification link
4. Start voting with 3x weight

Unverified accounts can still vote, but with 1x weight instead of 3x.

Trusted Contributors are users who have demonstrated consistent, high-quality input. Their votes carry 10x weight (vs 3x for verified, 1x for unverified).

How to become a Trusted Contributor:

• Consistently vote in agreement with community consensus
• Provide thoughtful, detailed feedback
• Report genuinely problematic content
• Participate regularly over time
• No spam or abuse reports

Benefits:

• 10x voting weight (highest tier)
• Trusted Contributor badge on profile
• Priority in disagreement resolution
• Ability to suggest new channels for review

Trusted status is manually granted by administrators based on demonstrated contribution quality.

Yes, you can delete your account anytime.

From your profile page, scroll to the bottom and click "Delete Account". This will:

• Permanently delete your account and profile information
• Remove your personal data (email, username)
• Anonymize your votes (they remain for data integrity, but unlinked from you)
• Cancel all email subscriptions

What's NOT deleted:

• Your anonymized votes (maintains community rating accuracy)
• Aggregated statistics you contributed to

Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

The voting process is simple:

1. View a channel page: See the AI's assessment
2. Review the rating: Does the stimulation score seem accurate?
3. Vote:
   • Agree: AI rating is accurate
   • Disagree: AI rating is off (provide your own rating)
4. Optional feedback: Explain your reasoning

Your vote is weighted based on your account status (unverified=1x, verified=3x, trusted=10x).

Yes! You can change your vote on any channel at any time.

Simply return to the channel page and submit a new vote. Your previous vote will be replaced with the new one.

This allows you to update your assessment if the channel content changes or if you reconsider your initial rating.

Vote weight prevents spam and rewards quality contributions:

• Unverified (1x): New accounts, not yet email-verified
• Verified (3x): Email-verified accounts
• Trusted (10x): Proven contributors with consistent quality input

Example: If 1 trusted contributor (10x weight) votes "safe" and 2 unverified users (1x weight each) vote "unsafe", the trusted vote has more influence (10 vs 2).

This system ensures quality over quantity while still allowing new contributors to participate.

The platform works on all modern browsers:

• Chrome/Edge (last 2 versions)
• Firefox (last 2 versions)
• Safari (last 2 versions)
• Mobile browsers on iOS and Android

JavaScript must be enabled for full functionality.

We recommend using the latest browser version for the best experience and security.

We appreciate bug reports! You can report issues through:

• Contact Form: Contact us with details about the problem
• GitHub Issues: If you're technical, open an issue on our GitHub repository

When reporting, please include:

• What you were trying to do
• What happened vs what you expected
• Your browser and operating system
• Screenshots if applicable

Yes! We provide a RESTful API for accessing channel ratings and data.

See our API Documentation for:

• Authentication methods
• Available endpoints
• Request/response formats
• Rate limits
• Code examples

API access requires an account and API key. Contact us for commercial API usage.