Google for kids is coming : Report

US : Google Inc. has announced that it will expand its target audience to include kids under the age of 13, by offering accounts to children for its products like YouTube and Gmail. According to The Information, Google is considering features such as a kid-friendly version of YouTube and tools for letting parents monitor what their kids do.

Currently, the age limit for creating a Google account is 13 years old, but the new features would allow younger users to access the services. These include a dashboard for parents to oversee their kids' activities and monitor the kind of content that they see.

Internet companies such as Google and Facebook Inc do not offer their services to children under 13, but it is tough to catch users who sign up by providing false information.

Allowing greater access for pre-teens is a touchy a legal issue the report stated. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, sets certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on information collected from those sites, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Currently there is no barrier to parents setting up a Google account, and according to the report, the company is trying to make the process easier and compliant with federal rules.