Elsagate

Thumbnails of Elsagate content

Elsagate is a neologism referring to the controversy surrounding YouTube videos that are categorized as child-friendly but contain themes, images, or situations that are inappropriate for children. These videos often feature popular characters from Disney's Frozen, such as Elsa, as well as other well-known characters from various franchises, engaging in violent, sexual, or otherwise disturbing activities.

Background

The term "Elsagate" is derived from the name of the character Elsa from the Disney movie Frozen and the suffix "-gate", which is used to denote a scandal. The controversy gained widespread attention in 2017 when numerous reports and investigations highlighted the prevalence of these disturbing videos on YouTube and YouTube Kids.

Content and Characteristics

Elsagate videos typically feature characters from popular children's media, including Spider-Man, Peppa Pig, and Mickey Mouse, among others. These characters are often depicted in bizarre, inappropriate, or violent scenarios. Common themes include:

• Violence
• Sexual content
• Drug use
• Toilet humor
• Abduction

These videos are often produced using animation, live-action, or a combination of both. They are designed to exploit the algorithms of YouTube to appear in the recommended videos for children, thereby gaining a large number of views and generating ad revenue.

Response and Impact

The Elsagate controversy prompted significant backlash from parents, educators, and child advocacy groups. In response, YouTube implemented stricter policies and guidelines to better filter and monitor content aimed at children. This included:

• Enhancing the YouTube Kids app with more robust parental controls.
• Increasing the use of machine learning and human review to identify and remove inappropriate content.
• Disabling comments on videos featuring minors to prevent predatory behavior.

Despite these measures, concerns about the effectiveness of YouTube's content moderation persist, and the platform continues to face scrutiny over its handling of child-friendly content.

See Also

• YouTube Kids
• Content moderation
• Algorithm
• Ad revenue
• Parental controls