California (Web Desk): A recent study has revealed that despite the introduction of safety measures and new regulations, YouTube continues to recommend harmful content related to eating disorders to children.
According to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), although YouTube's systems have shown significant improvements following the implementation of online safety regulations, the platform still recommends videos promoting unhealthy dieting, unnecessary weight loss, and low-nutrition eating habits to young users.
The study found that these recommendations were generated through YouTube's "Up Next" recommendation algorithm. To conduct the research, investigators created fictitious accounts representing 13-year-old girls in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe to evaluate the platform’s recommendation system.
The report stated that harmful content recommendations have declined significantly compared with 2024, with such recommendations now appearing in approximately one out of every nine recommendations. However, researchers said that more effective measures are still needed to better protect children online.
The study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the UK Online Safety Act, the European Union’s Digital Services Act, and the new child safety measures introduced by YouTube.