Google to pay $30M to settle YouTube child privacy lawsuit
What's the story
Google has agreed to pay $30 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing it of violating children's privacy on YouTube. The suit alleged that the tech giant collected data from kids watching YouTube videos, which is illegal under COPPA legislation for children under 13. While Google has denied these allegations, the settlement could benefit up to 45 million US residents eligible for small payments.
Class action specifics
Proposed settlement pending approval
The proposed class action settlement was filed in San Jose, California, and is pending approval by US Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen. The class includes all US residents who watched YouTube while under 13 years old between July 1, 2013, and April 1, 2020. If approved, claimants could receive between $30-60 each after deducting legal fees and costs.
Past agreements
Google previously settled similar charges
In 2019, Google had agreed to pay $170 million in fines and change some practices to settle similar charges by the US Federal Trade Commission. However, some critics thought that the agreement was too lenient. The current settlement comes after mediation began in February 2025, following a lawsuit filed by the parents of 34 children who accused Google of violating state laws by allowing content providers to collect personal information through cartoons and nursery rhymes.
Legal proceedings
Case details and financials
In January, Judge van Keulen dismissed claims against content providers such as Hasbro, Mattel, Cartoon Network, and DreamWorks Animation. The plaintiffs' lawyers plan to seek up to $9 million from the settlement for legal fees. Alphabet reported a net income of $62.7 billion on revenue of $186.7 billion in H1 2025. The case is C.H. et al v Google LLC et al, US District Court, Northern District of California, No. 19-07016.