Google to pay $30m for YouTube child privacy breach
Google has agreed to pay USD30 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of violating the privacy of children who used YouTube by collecting their personal data without parental consent and exploiting it for targeted advertising.
The preliminary settlement, filed late Monday in a federal court in San Jose, California, awaits approval from U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen.
Though agreeing to the payout, Google denied any wrongdoing. The case was brought forward by parents and guardians of 34 children who alleged that YouTube deliberately enticed young viewers with cartoons, nursery rhymes and other child-focused content to gather personal information.
The claims cover U.S. children under 13 who watched YouTube between 1 July 2013 and 1 April 2020.
This is not Google’s first encounter with regulators over children’s privacy.
In 2019, the company’s parent, Alphabet Inc., agreed to pay USD170 million in fines and pledged changes to its practices following investigations by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General. At the time, critics argued the penalties were too lenient given YouTube’s vast reach.
The lawsuit initially also named content providers such as Hasbro, Mattel, Cartoon Network and DreamWorks Animation, but those claims were dismissed earlier this year due to lack of evidence. Mediation between Google and the plaintiffs began in February and ultimately led to the settlement.
According to lawyers for the plaintiffs, the settlement class could include between 35 million and 45 million affected children.
If just 1 to 2 percent of eligible families file claims, a rate consistent with similar settlements, payouts are expected to range between USD30 and USD60 per claimant before deducting legal fees and costs.
The legal team said it plans to seek up to USD9 million of the settlement for attorneys’ fees.
Google has not issued a public statement on the settlement, and attorneys for the families declined to comment immediately.
Despite the payout, the financial impact is relatively minor for Alphabet, which reported net income of USD62.7 billion on USD186.7 billion in revenue in the first half of 2025.
