YouTube is under fire again as senators are demanding the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to look into YouTube and Google after allegedly showing targeted ads to kids.
YouTube's Targeted Ads to Kids, Teens
The New York Times reportedly spotted that YouTube ran a Canadian bank ad on the "Kids Diana Show," a YouTube channel intended for preschoolers. Upon clicking the ad, the user's browser will be tagged and tracked by Google, Meta, Microsoft, and other tech companies. All of which, will analyze the ad campaigns of brands.
This is not the first time that the tech giant was investigated for the same reason. In 2019, YouTube and Google settled a $170 million fine after illegally collecting personal information from children while watching kids' channels. The FTC and State of New York argued that the companies profited off the children's data to create ads.
YouTube since then have vowed to stop running targeted ads on children's channels.
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
The COPPA is a federal privacy law that requires online service companies to get parental consent first before collecting data from users below 13 years old.
On August 18, Senators Ed Markey and Marsha Blackburn called out to FTC, demanding the the companies should be investigated for violating the COPPA. The senators also want to pass COPPA 2.0 that will fully protect young people's privacy and will ban ads to kids and teens.
"YouTube and Google can't keep treating young people's data as an unprotected commodity for them to profit from," Markey stated.
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