YouTube fined $170 million for violations of children’s privacy

Enlarge / A girl watches a video on YouTube. (credit: Getty | ALAIN JOCARD)

YouTube's had a rough year with kids. Not only has the Google subsidiary drawn concerns about content featuring children and content provided to children, but now the company has also settled allegations that it violated a key children's privacy law.

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that Google would pay fines totaling $170 million to settle allegations that YouTube violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. Most of the money, $136 million, will go to settle with the FTC, and the remaining $34 million will settle a similar complaint with the New York Attorney General's office.

COPPA imposes certain restrictions on the collection and use of personal data associated with children ages 12 and under. Under the law, websites, apps, and digital platforms that collect data from young users are required to post a privacy policy and have parents consent to it, to give parents the option to opt out of having their children's information shared with third parties, to let parents review their children's data, and to follow sound data storage and retention policies.

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