YouTube illegally collects data on children, say child protection groups

Google violates child protection laws by collecting data from, and advertising to, children under 13, according to a complaint lodged with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by a coalition of child protection and privacy groups.

The groups allege that Google, YouTube’s parent organization, gathers data from tens of millions of children under 13 in the US alone. Google does this knowingly, and without asking for parental consent first – a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).