The different controls on different devices is also a problem. You want to set a limit on one app or one device, they just switch to another. Have siblings? They'll just use that device instead.

In a world of single devices and one child, they are still useless as they are naggy for the parents and create friction rather than responsibility.

Depending on your technical level and home network equipment, this can be accomplished. You can assign a static IP to those devices and block internet traffic to and from certain domains for those specific IPs.

I agree though, the default base level stuff is awful, but I'd bet that its terrible because it doesnt have a big enough financial return. Companies dont do things that dont make money. If they did, we wouldn't need regulations.

I assume Microsoft and Google don't care much about parental controls because it doesn't make them more money, and even if something goes wrong and someone tries to bring a lawsuit it won't really hurt them. It's like that scene from fight club about when they do a recall. (That and they're probably cool with kids seeing right wing garbage, because these companies are largely right wing garbage themselves)

My kid watches a ton of educational content, so I don't even necessarily want to block all of YouTube. I just want to be able to block individual videos and channels.