Thousands of videos on YouTube are masquerading as popular children's cartoons but contain disturbing and inappropriate content, BBC Trending has found. The clips, which feature characters from shows like Peppa Pig, Frozen, and Thomas the Tank Engine, often include graphic violence, crude humour, and themes unsuitable for young viewers.
Parent and journalist Laura June described her shock when her three-year-old daughter watched a Peppa Pig parody in which the character's teeth were pulled out by a sadistic dentist. 'The animation is crude but close enough that my daughter thought it was Peppa Pig,' she said. The video featured screaming and crying, far removed from the original show's tone.
One channel, 'Toys and Funny Kids Surprise Eggs', is among the top 100 most-watched YouTube accounts globally, with over five billion views. Its videos include titles such as 'FROZEN ELSA HUGE SNOT' and 'BLOODY ELSA', featuring animated violence and toilet humour. The channel's producers did not respond to requests for comment.
YouTube stated that flagged videos are reviewed manually 24/7 and removed within hours if inappropriate. The company recommends using the YouTube Kids app, which filters most disturbing content, and enabling 'restricted mode' for a safer experience. However, experts warn that parents should not assume all content labelled with familiar characters is safe.
Sonia Livingstone, professor of social psychology at the London School of Economics, said: 'It's legitimate for a parent to believe something called Peppa Pig is Peppa Pig. If YouTube wants to be a trusted brand, parents should know protection is in place.' She emphasised the need for child protection without policing all content, as some parodies may be satirical or creative.
