Google plans child-safe versions of Chrome and YouTube

Google hopes to make the internet safer for children by providing child-friendly versions of its search tool, Chrome browser and YouTube.

The plans were revealed by Google's vice president of engineering Pavni Diwanji in an interview with USA Today yesterday.

Diwanji, who is leading the project, said that the adapted versions of its services will be made safe for children aged 12 and under.

She said: "The big motivator inside the company is everyone is having kids, so there's a push to change our products to be fun and safe for children.

"We expect this to be controversial, but the simple truth is kids already have the technology in schools and at home. So the better approach is to simply see to it that the tech is used in a better way."

The idea behind the project is that, when searching for general terms such as 'trains', a child would get images of Thomas the Tank Engine, rather than National Rail or other ticket-selling sites.

This particular example was inspired by Diwanji's own children, she said, who are now trialling the new services alongside other kids.

Parents will be able to monitor what their children are doing online, as well as manage things such as which sites they are able to access and how long they can stay online.

"We want to be thoughtful about what we do, giving parents the right tools to oversee their kids' use of our products," Diwanji said. "We want kids to be safe, but ultimately it's about helping them be more than just pure consumers of tech, but creators, too."

It is not yet known when these modified services will become available, though USA Today reported that the project will be a "full-time" effort for the company, indicating that it will arrive quite soon.