Youtube Accused Of Violating COPPA In FTC Petition

Parking your child with a tablet and the LittleBabyBum YouTube channel may not be as kid-friendly as it seems, a group of consumer advocacy groups told the Federal Trade Commission in April.

More than 20 groups, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Public Citizen, and the Consumer Federation of America, asked the FTC to investigate the video streaming service YouTube for alleged violations of the Child's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The groups claim that, even though YouTube is designated for an audience aged 13 and older, the service nonetheless directs content and advertising to children under the age of 13 and collects their personal information without providing notice to and receiving proper consents from parents.