Is there a way to block inappropriate videos from YouTube search results?
You can avoid or block certain types of videos from the site through a variety of measures. These include built-in filters and third-party software.
YouTube has a Safety Mode that filters out what the site refers to as “potentially objectionable material†when you search or browse for videos. To turn on Safety Mode, scroll down to the very bottom of any YouTube page to the menus for Language, Location and Safety. Next to Safety, click the Off button to see the option to click the On button and click Save.
YouTube should now filter the videos it displays when you use the site. Comments on videos are also hidden from view or censored to have certain words filtered out.
If you have a YouTube account and are logged into it, you can fix the controls to keep Safety Mode activated: click the box next to “Lock safety mode o n this browser†in the Safety Mode settings. Locking Safety Mode keeps the setting active, even if you log out of your YouTube account.
While Safety Mode can help block quite a bit of content, it may not catch everything on YouTube that might offend. Its safety rankings are generated by YouTube users who flag videos that are considered objectionable, as well as by YouTube's own internal filters.
If you find YouTube's Safety Mode is not strong enough to catch everything you do not wish to see, third-party filtering software like SafeEyes or Net Nanny costs more - but does more. These programs can cost at least $40 or so, but allow a wider range of filtering and content-blocking beyond YouTube.
Other tools include the Google SafeSearch filter and browser add-on filters. Settings like Content Advisor on Internet Explorer can also help block certain types of materials. Check your preferred browser and search engine for what is available.
