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Google to pay $30 million to settle YouTube child privacy lawsuit
The new lawsuit was brought by the parents or guardians of 34 children, who accused Google of flouting dozens of state privacy laws.
Google has agreed to pay $30 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it violated the privacy of children using YouTube by collecting personal information without parental consent and using it for targeted advertising, Reuters reported.
A preliminary settlement of the proposed class action was filed late Monday in federal court in San Jose, California, and now awaits approval from U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan can Keulen. While agreeing to the payout, Google has denied any wrongdoing.
The new lawsuit was brought by the parents or guardians of 34 children, who accused Google of flouting dozens of state privacy laws. They alleged that YouTube lured kids with cartoons, nursery rhymes, and other content to collect personal data - even after the 2019 settlement meant to curb such practices.
Judge van Keulen earlier dismissed claims against content providers such as Hasbro, Mattel, Cartoon Network, and DreamWorks Animation, ruling there wasn't enough evidence to link them directly to Google's alleged data collection, the report added.
Mediation between the parties began shortly after, culminating in this settlement.
The proposed class action covers U.S. children under 13 who watched YouTube between July 1, 2013, and April 1, 2020. Plaintiffs' lawyers estimate that 35 million to 45 million children could be affected.
Ig just 1-2% of eligible class members file claims - a rate seen in similar cases - payouts could amount to $30 to $60 per child before deducting legal fees and costs. Attorneys reportedly plan to seek up to $9 million from the settlement to cover fees.
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