In the midst of Facebook鈥檚 data privacy scandal, another tech giant popular with children and teenagers has been challenged over its collection and use of consumers鈥� information.
More than 20 consumer advocacy groups with the Federal Trade Commission this week, alleging that YouTube has been gathering the personal data of children using their platform and then using this data to target advertisements, in violation of the Children鈥檚 Online Privacy Protection Act.
The act, known as COPPA, requires commercial websites and apps to get informed parental consent before collecting any personal information on children under 13. YouTube, which is owned by Google, allows any visitor to its platform to search for content on the site and watch videos without signing in or verifying age.
鈥淭he FTC needs to step up its enforcement of this law,鈥� said Sam Lester, a consumer privacy fellow at the , one of the groups that submitted the complaint. Children are especially vulnerable to advertising, he said, as they may not understand that the content they鈥檙e viewing is promotional, and they鈥檙e not able to grasp the accompanying privacy risks.
驰辞耻罢耻产别鈥檚 state that the website is not for those under 13, and Google鈥檚 say that advertisers can鈥檛 target ads to children in that age group. The company directs children and families to its YouTube Kids app, which curates age-appropriate content and allows for parental controls.
But regardless, the complaint contends, children under 13 are using the main platform, not just the kids app. And YouTube isn鈥檛 oblivious to their presence, the complaint argues鈥攖hese consumer groups say that YouTube is actively marketing to kids on the site.
In an emailed statement, a YouTube spokesperson said, 鈥淲e are reviewing the complaint and will evaluate if there are things we can do to improve. Protecting kids and families has always been a top priority for us.鈥�
The company added: 鈥淏ecause YouTube is not for children, we鈥檝e invested significantly in the creation of the YouTube Kids app to offer an alternative specifically designed for children.鈥�
A found that more children watch YouTube on the main platform than on the kids鈥� app. Of parents of kids ages zero to eight, 71 percent said their children watch videos on the main website or app, while 24 percent said their kids watch on the kids鈥� app. Several of 驰辞耻罢耻产别鈥檚 most popular channels show programming for children鈥攆or example, , a channel that rates kids鈥� toys. The channel has more than 13 million subscribers.
It鈥檚 also possible that kids are watching these videos without their parents鈥� knowledge: increasingly, , which could make it less likely that parents are keeping tabs on viewing habits.
On the main YouTube platform, Google collects information from all users鈥攔egardless of their age, the complaint says. Google鈥檚 says that the company gathers network information and location data, both of which could be protected under COPPA.
The complaint also demonstrates how advertisers can use Google tools, including AdWords and DoubleClick, to target ads with keywords like 鈥渒id鈥� or 鈥渃hild,鈥� or relevant products for children, like 鈥渂arbie doll dream house.鈥�
鈥淲hen you collect the viewing data on the channel, and then you show targeted advertising on that channel, you know that you鈥檙e targeting kids,鈥� said Lester.
The best solution, Lester says, would be for Google and other companies with large bases of young users to prohibit targeted advertising entirely on all content directed to children.
鈥淚f a website is not able to obtain [parental consent], or it鈥檚 not practical to obtain that, then it鈥檚 illegal to collect the data,鈥� he said.
Image: Getty
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