Reps. Cicilline, Fortenberry Question YouTube’s COPPA Data Compliance

Reps. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., in a Tuesday letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, questioned whether YouTube data collection practices follow child privacy law. The lawmakers cited an FTC complaint from child and privacy advocacy groups alleging YouTube collected and shared personal data “of tens of millions of children in violation” of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (see 1804090036). “YouTube’s terms of services state that the website is not intended for children under 13, but the FTC complaint states that YouTube does not have safeguards to prevent this from happening,” they wrote. “Because YouTube is not for children, we’ve invested significantly in the creation of the YouTube Kids app to offer an alternative specifically designed for children,” a Google spokesperson said. “We appreciate all efforts to protect families and children online and look forward to working with members of Congress to answer their questions.”