Google and YouTube to Pay $30 Million Over Children’s Data — Was Your Child’s Information Collected?

A federal judge in California granted final approval to a $30 million settlement resolving claims that Google and YouTube unlawfully collected personal information from children without getting the required consent from parents, in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

COPPA is a federal law that requires websites and apps to get a parent’s permission before collecting any personal data from a child under 13. The lawsuit alleged Google and YouTube did not follow those rules for children watching videos on the standard YouTube platform.

What the Lawsuit Says Happened

According to the lawsuit, YouTube allowed children’s videos to be watched and tracked without enabling the privacy protections the law requires. That meant kids’ viewing habits, device information, and other personal data were being collected and used for advertising — without parents ever being asked or told.

YouTube Kids, the platform’s dedicated children’s service, has different settings designed for children. The regular YouTube platform does not automatically apply those protections — and that’s where the lawsuit says the problem occurred. Kids who watched YouTube on the main app, without a supervised account, may have had their information collected.

Why This Law Exists

Congress passed COPPA to protect children from having their personal information collected, stored, and sold without their parents even knowing it was happening. Companies that target children or knowingly collect data from users under 13 are supposed to follow strict rules: notify parents, get their consent, and limit what data they keep.

When those rules are ignored, the consequences can include government fines and private lawsuits like this one. Google has previously paid large penalties to the FTC for COPPA violations on YouTube — this settlement resolves a separate private class action brought on behalf of affected families.

Who May Qualify

You may be covered by this settlement if:

• You are a parent or guardian of a child who used YouTube
• Your child was under 13 at the time they watched YouTube
• Your child used the regular YouTube app or website — particularly without a supervised or YouTube Kids account

Class membership and the claims process will be set by the settlement administrator. Submit your information now to ensure you receive notice when the claims process opens. There is no cost to check, and submitting your information does not obligate you to anything.