Alphabet Class A Tightens YouTube Controls, Targets Crypto Apps

Alphabet Class A ( (GOOGL) ) has been popular among investors this week. Here is a recap of the key news on this stock.

Alphabet Class A is tightening its grip on user safety and regulatory compliance across key parts of its business, moves that could influence investor sentiment around the stock. On YouTube, Alphabet is rolling out new parental controls aimed at reducing the addictive nature of short-form content for children and teens. Parents will be able to set strict time limits—or block access entirely—to YouTube Shorts, as well as schedule “bedtime” and “take a break” reminders. The company is also simplifying supervised account sign-ups and reshaping its recommendation engine for teens to favor content linked to curiosity, life skills, and wellbeing, while limiting repeated exposure to potentially harmful or “rabbit hole” videos. These measures respond directly to mounting public and regulatory scrutiny over social media’s impact on youth mental health, and may help YouTube stay ahead of potential regulation and reputational risk.

At the same time, Alphabet’s Google Play platform is moving to more closely align with financial rules in South Korea, a fast-growing crypto market. From January 28, 2026, all cryptocurrency exchanges and custodial wallet apps available on Google Play in South Korea must prove registration with the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit, or face being hidden and eventually rendered unusable due to lack of updates. Non-custodial wallets are largely exempt, but offshore exchanges without a licensed local operation and strong security certifications are under pressure to formalize their presence or lose access to Android users. This decision underscores Alphabet Class A’s increasing focus on regulatory compliance in sensitive areas like digital assets, even as South Korea simultaneously embraces tokenized securities in its capital markets. Against this backdrop, Wall Street remains broadly optimistic on Alphabet Class A, with a Strong Buy consensus from 34 analysts and an average price target of $342.39, implying modest upside from current levels.