Google’s video site YouTube has been fined $170 million to settle allegations it collected children’s personal data without their parents’ consent.
The Federal Trade Commission fined Google $136 million. The company will pay an additional $34 million to New York state to resolve similar allegations.
The fine is the largest the agency has leveled against Google, although it is tiny compared with the $5 billion fine the FTC imposed against Facebook this year for privacy violations.
The FTC has been investigating YouTube for the way it handles the data of kids under 13. Young children are protected by a federal law that requires parental consent before companies can collect and share their personal information.
YouTube has said its service is intended for ages 13 and older, although younger kids commonly watch videos on the site and many popular YouTube channels feature cartoons or sing-a-longs made for children.
YouTube has its own app for children, called YouTube Kids. The company also launched a website version of the service in August.
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