Tech Giant Faces New Scrutiny on Child Privacy
Google has agreed to pay $30 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused it of unlawfully collecting children’s data through YouTube, court documents have revealed.
The case alleged that the company violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which restricts firms from gathering personal information from users under 13 without parental consent.
Plaintiffs claimed YouTube monitored the viewing activity of children to enable targeted advertising, a widely used marketing practice that is banned for minors.
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Although Google has chosen to settle, it continues to deny any wrongdoing.
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The agreement could cover as many as 45 million people in the United States. Anyone who was under 13 and used YouTube between July 2013 and April 2020 may qualify for compensation. The final payout amounts will depend on the number of successful claims.
This is not the first time Google has faced criticism over children’s data. In 2019, it paid $170 million to U.S. regulators in a similar case.
The settlement comes as lawmakers increase pressure on technology firms to strengthen online protections for minors. Advocates argue that stronger safeguards are needed, especially with growing concerns about how digital platforms handle sensitive information.
