Youtube pays $170 million fine for collecting children's data
Google and its video platform YouTube are paying a $170 million fine for unlawfully collecting personal information from children. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced this on Wednesday.
The payment is therefore part of a settlement between the companies on the one hand and the FTC and the New York Attorney General's Office on the other.
The two internet companies are accused of using cookies to collect information about users of YouTube children's channels without first obtaining parental consent. The aim was to use the data to distribute targeted advertisements and earn money.
According to the authorities, Google and YouTube were in breach of a 1998 law that prohibits the collection of data from children under the age of 13.
In 2013, the law was amended to add that this regulation also applies to cookies. These are software tools that allow websites to track what their users are interested in. New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Google and YouTube of abusing their power. (SDA)
