YouTube Faces Backlash Over Privacy Concerns In Children's Advertising

(RTTNews) - YouTube, owned by Google, is under fire as concerns about children's online privacy escalate. A recent research report unveiled that YouTube's advertising practices targeted at children's videos might compromise young viewers' privacy. YouTube responded by assuring that it had curtailed viewer data collection and refrained from showing targeted ads on such videos.

Personalized advertising, which tailors marketing content based on user behavior and interests, has shown efficacy. Yet, federal privacy laws mandate that online services catering to children must obtain parental consent before gathering personal information for ad targeting, a rule YouTube extended to all viewers of kids' videos.

However, a significant children's group, Fairplay, challenged YouTube's claims. They alleged that using advertising tools from Google, they ran a $10 ad campaign exclusively targeting adult consumer segments on children's video channels. Adalytics, the research firm, confirmed similar campaigns on children's channels by other media buyers. Consequently, Fairplay, the Center for Digital Democracy, and two nonprofits lodged a complaint with the FTC, urging an investigation into Google and YouTube's data and advertising practices on children's videos.

Michael Aciman, Google's spokesperson, disputed the claims, emphasizing that personalized ads on kids' content were prohibited and advertisers can't target children. Google reaffirmed adherence to child privacy standards agreed upon with the FTC.

This isn't the first time Fairplay and the Center for Digital Democracy have flagged Google and YouTube's practices. In 2018, they accused Google of illicit data collection from children watching tailored videos. In 2019, Google settled with the FTC and New York for $170 million over illegal data collection from children's content viewers.

Josh Golin, Executive Director of Fairplay, highlighted the minimal legal safeguards for children online, urging platforms to refrain from using children's data for personalized ads.

The dispute spotlights the intricate balance between ad revenue and safeguarding young users' privacy, prompting regulatory and advocacy scrutiny on YouTube and Google.