YouTube Frequently Asked Questions

Since YouTube was made available to WSU accounts, faculty members using YouTube content in their courses have reached out to WSU IT with a few common questions. To help clarify, we have addressed the most frequent questions and concerns in this FAQ.
 

• Is there a way to disable ads on YouTube for WSU accounts? 
  Individual users can partially manage the types of ads they see via Google's Personalized Ads feature. To adjust these settings, please visit Google's My Ad Center. Beyond this, Google's enterprise platform does not provide WSU IT with the ability to disable, restrict, or control YouTube ads for university accounts. 
• Are there legal issues with students viewing ads in an educational setting?  
   While there are specific legal considerations regarding advertising to students at the K-12 level, WSU operates in higher education and is not subject to those same limitations. As a protective measure, WSU students under 18 are exempt from this and have NOT been granted access to YouTube via their WSU accounts.
• Are WSU student accounts age-restricted on YouTube in any way? 
  In the interest of academic freedom, WSU Google accounts for current faculty, staff, and adult students do not have age-based content restrictions in place. As noted above, students under 18 cannot access YouTube via a WSU account at all. 
• How can I prevent personal recommendations or my watch history from showing up while I am presenting to my class?  

  Because WSU IT cannot control YouTube's recommendation algorithm, we recommend a few best practices when presenting:

  Use a Private Window: Open YouTube in an "Incognito" or "Private" browser window when presenting. This prevents your personal account data from influencing what is shown on screen.
  
  Pause Your History: You can disable your YouTube Watch History and Search History. Pausing Watch History prevents YouTube from displaying past-viewed videos, while pausing Search History limits recommendations to the video currently being played. You can adjust these settings in your Google Account Data Controls.