Google has reached an agreement over a federal case over data collection practices on YouTube. The lawsuit stated that the platform collected personal information of kids without the consent of their parents illegally. This settlement applies online privacy laws and imposes modifications to the way YouTube offers content to young audiences.

Highlights:

• Google will pay a $170 million fine to settle the allegations.
• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) led the complaint against YouTube.
• The platform was accused of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
• YouTube must now treat content made for children differently.
• The lawsuit addressed the tracking of children’s viewing habits for targeted advertising.

The case was about a violation of COPPA regulations. This legislation obliges it to secure a verifiable parental approval prior to gathering details of under-age users. Researchers concluded that YouTube monitored the watching patterns of children. This information was later on used to display specific adverts and this amounts to a criminal offense of violating federal privacy regulations meant to guard children.

YouTube must introduce certain radical changes in order to eliminate this violation. The platform has to now detect kid-directed content. It is forbidden to display customised ads on it or placing tracking cookies on it. This move directly responds to the fundamental data misuse that made the lawsuit possible and will fundamentally change the terms of monetizing such content.

This is a decisive setback to the technology sector. It affirms that the laws applicable on child privacy are to be enforced on all platforms with or without size. The result shows that business firms will be answerable in cases of breaching COPPA. Such an enforcement effort supports the need to safeguard online privacy of children.