Is Scratch safe for kids?
What MIT does to keep it safe
Scratch was built with kids in mind from the start. There's no direct messaging between users, MIT removed it specifically to reduce contact risks. Accounts don't require a real name or photo. All projects and comments have a report button, and MIT's moderation team reviews flagged content. Under-13 accounts have additional restrictions on what they can share publicly.
The one area to watch
The community library has millions of projects — most are games, animations, and school assignments. But some contain mild cartoon violence, jump scares, or crude humor that slips past filters. It's the same reality as YouTube Kids: moderated, but not perfectly curated.
The simplest fix: in your kid's account settings, you can turn off comments on their projects entirely. And if they're just learning to code rather than exploring others' work, the offline editor removes community exposure completely.
Bottom line for parents
Scratch is one of the safer platforms kids use online. The risks that exist are content risks from the community library, not predator or data risks. Treat it the way you'd treat any creative platform — check in occasionally on what they're building and browsing.
