Children's market has "good play" ruled by Google

　Almost all technology companies have seen a child user represents a huge market size. However, when it comes to children's use of the Internet business information, privacy has become a topic of concern particularly. Therefore, some companies are very cautious.

　　And now, Google once again eyeing the market.

　　As the global search engine giant Google to process 40,000 per search, of which a considerable part of the query behavior from children. To make them safer to use and interesting product, Google decided to launch next year child version, available only to children under 13 years of age to use. These products may include Chrome, YouTube, Gmail and other basic services, as well as Made with Code Maker Camp and other children's programming education programs.

　　Pavni Diwanji Google's vice president of technology for the first time open to the media recently confirmed the existence of the project. As a mother of two children, she said: "We knew it would be controversial, but the fact is that children have access to and use of these technologies in schools and at home this end, a simple solution to the problem is this: in order to better way to use these techniques. "

　　It is reported that the use of Google services for children under the age of 13 up to one million users, this is just borrow their parents joined Google number of members, the actual situation is far more than this figure.

　　Any enterprise subscriber growth there is always a bottleneck that day, Google is no exception, develop new customer base is very important. By providing customized services for children users can develop their habits, accumulated future market players.

　　Diwanji recently mentioned that one thing told USA Today in an interview that her daughter has a train when using Google search and was surprised to find that pops up Amtrak train schedules, in fact, she was looking for that department in the middle of a very famous children Thomas tells cartoon locomotive. So she complained to his mother: "You should tell the Google story about Thomas the train, because Google apparently did not know him." Diwanji thus found that Google's search engine is completely different in the eyes of children and adults.

　　In fact, Google is not only now beginning to covet the children's market. A year ago, the company has launched the emasculated version of YouTube channel for children, parents can be controlled to ensure that their children can only see the appropriate age for viewing video content. Subsequently, Gmail has launched a similar function. However, due to the controversial children's Internet market is too large, these projects have been in the default state. However, Google has now decided to get involved in public, from a legal point of view, still faces enormous risks.

　　In order to prevent Internet companies collect the privacy of children, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of the "Children's Online Privacy Protection Act" (COPPA) have very strict restrictions. This bill provides that children under 13 years of age at the time of purchase of network services and App business must provide a personal name and address, and parental consent, if the violation, the maximum required to pay  800,000$ in fines. Over the past few years, there are more than 20 companies due to violation of the relevant laws and punished. Such as Yelp, this company but had failed to execute the age limit function was fined  450,000$ in its rating applications.

　　Therefore, Google requires users to provide age at the time of registration service, but still can not stop stealing children use the Internet anonymously or adult account. Also, Google's mobile operating system Android is no age requirement, you can automatically have Google account. And behind this decision before the person in charge of Android Andy Rubin tells the media admits that his original decision was "not correct."

　　Google is not only eyeing the FTC, as well as the American Center for Digital Democracy (Center for Digital Democracy). It used to promote the enactment of COPPA Act, currently planned for Google's child, also the FTC submitted the relevant application. Senior person in charge of the agency's Jeff Chester, said: "Unless Google can do keep the privacy of these children, or is buried millions of children to serious privacy 'bomb', and this behavior is a disguised form of deprivation parents protect their children the right to information act. "

　　Difficult to expand the children's market taste, Google has deep.

　　Starting in 2011, due to Android users do not need to enter a password when making purchasing operations within an application, resulting in a large number of children can be used without the consent of their parents to buy Android phones ranging from 99 cents to 200$  a game, which was Parents sue. In 2012, Google began using a password prompt pops up.

　　Until September of this year, Google and the FTC reached a settlement last for the "in-app purchase" case, and to pay a total of  19 million $ in damages many consumers involved in this case.

　　For technology giants such as Google, it may have to first learn to "Bomb" ability, possible future security into the clouds privacy bomb children's market.