Google hatching YouTube Kiddie Vids – report

Chocolate Factory goes after tiny consumer units with all its power

Google is about to enter the lucrative revenue stream of advertising to children, with the Chocolate Factory set to reportedly announce a YouTube app for kids.

YouTube executive Malik Ducard will unveil YouTube Kids on Monday at the entertainment industry event Kidscreen Summit, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A source told the newspaper that the app has been designed to be "child-friendly", with big bulbous icons, minimal scrolling and parental controls that limit the amount of time children can watch videos.

The ad giant is said to be discussing plans to generate revenue by displaying ads in the app.

Google has declined to comment about the speculation.

In December it emerged that Google was developing children-specific versions of its products aimed at the under-12s. The search giant is also thought to be developing a kids' version of Chrome.

Pavni Diwanji, Google VP of engineering told USA Today: "We expect this to be controversial, but the simple truth is kids already have the technology in schools and at home."

The childrens' advertising market is thought to be huge, with many currently lamenting the lack of online advertising opportunities.

Facebook has also been developing an under-13s version of its social network site.

Google and Facebook will have had to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, overseen by U.S. consumer watchdog the Federal Trade Commission. ®