YouTube Is Illegally Collecting Your Kids' Data, Complaint Says

Does your child picket YouTube? If so, the site is illegally collecting their data, privacy groups argue.

YouTube does not ask parents for consent to collect children's data, co-ordinate to a complaint from 22 groups.

"Kids have been watching videos on YouTube for years, something the company has known, and profited off of, by targeting content and ads at children nether 13," James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense, said in a statement.

Common Sense and other groups claim the unwarranted data drove violates the Children's Online Privacy Protection Human activity (COPPA). They filed a formal complaint with the FTC, asking the agency to investigate.

In response, Google said: "YouTube is non for children."

"We are reviewing the complaint and will evaluate if at that place are things we tin exercise to improve. Protecting kids and families has always been a elevation priority for u.s.," it added.

YouTube's terms of service land that YouTube is meant merely for people aged 13 and over. For those under xiii, Google offers YouTube Kids, an app that asks children to activate the service with the help of a parent.

Nevertheless, the chief YouTube platform remains the become-to video streaming service for children, co-ordinate to the privacy and consumer advocacy groups. YouTube also hosts numerous children-themed videos and channels that routinely attract thousands or millions of views, they add.

YouTube Children Videos

COPPA mandates that online services directed to children clearly post a privacy policy about what data they collect from minors, and obtain consent from the parent. YouTube is failing to do this, the privacy groups contend. The platform tin collect information on what you view for ad-targeting purposes, in addition to your phone number and your location. Just that also ways whatsoever child watching videos on YouTube tin can accept their data nerveless likewise, the groups claim.

"There is no reason to call up that YouTube treats information collected from children any differently than that collected from other users," they said in their complaint to the FTC.

Google has explicitly banned advertizement-targeting and data drove directed at children. Only the privacy groups claim advertisers can however target immature children on YouTube by gaming Google'due south advertizing system. To punish the net giant, the groups are calling on the FTC to fine the visitor "tens of billions of dollars."

The FTC confirmed information technology has received the complaint, just declined to offer farther comment. It tin fine offenders $41,484 per COPPA violation.

On YouTube Kids, meanwhile, an updated version of the app volition axe algorithmically selected videos in favor of manually selected content, co-ordinate to BuzzFeed.