YouTube Underfire Again for Allegedly Violating Children's Privacy Laws

Background

After a recent research report exposed YouTube's potential breach of children's privacy while watching children's videos, the company has defended its advertising practices. It claims that it limits the collection of viewer data and does not serve targeted ads on videos intended for children. However, children's advocacy group Fairplay has contested these claims, accusing YouTube of showing targeted ads on children's video channels.

Fairplay's Challenge

Fairplay has conducted an experiment using advertising placement tools from YouTube's parent company, Google, to run a $10 ad campaign on children's video channels. The ads were specifically aimed at different adult consumer segments, including motorcycle enthusiasts, high-end computer aficionados, and avid investors. Fairplay received a placement report from Google, revealing that the ads were shown 1,446 times on YouTube children's video channels.

A Wider Issue

This revelation comes in the wake of Adalytics' research, which analyzed similar ad campaigns on children's channels from various media buyers. To address these concerns, Fairplay, along with the Center for Digital Democracy and two other nonprofit groups, lodged a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urging the agency to investigate Google and YouTube's data and advertising practices on videos made for children.

YouTube's Response

Google spokesperson Michael Aciman has dismissed the claims made by Fairplay, stating that their report demonstrates a "fundamental misunderstanding" of how advertising operates on content made for kids. Aciman insists that YouTube does not allow ad personalization or targeting of children with ads on any of its products. Additionally, Google states that Fairplay may have received audience segment reports for ads appearing on non-children's videos due to the mixed nature of some YouTube channels.

Past Troubles

This is not the first time Fairplay and the Center for Digital Democracy have pressed the FTC to investigate Google and YouTube concerning issues of children's privacy. In 2018, the two organizations, along with 21 other groups, accused the company of improperly collecting data from children who watched children's videos. The following year, the FTC and the State of New York found Google guilty of illegally collecting personal information from children's channels and fined the company a record $170 million.

A Call for Greater Protections

Josh Golin, the executive director of Fairplay, emphasizes the need for better safeguards for children online, stating that platforms like YouTube have a responsibility to refrain from using children's personal information for tracking or serving personalized ads. The FTC will now be tasked with investigating the recent allegations and determining whether YouTube's practices align with federal children's privacy regulations.