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YouTube Trouble, Again

WATCH IT! YouTube is the largest video-sharing platform in the world. A lawsuit claims it illegally collected kids’ data. HOCUS-FOCUS/GETTY IMAGES

Google will pay $30 million to settle a lawsuit. The suit was raised by the parents or guardians of 34 kids. The families say YouTube illegally collected kids’ data and used it to send ads to them. Google, which owns YouTube, denies the claim. The settlement was filed in California on August 18.

Judge Susan van Keulen oversaw the case. In January, she rejected Google’s request to dismiss it. It’s possible “that Google engaged in highly offensive conduct,” she said at the time.

Google has paid a penalty for potential data violations before. In 2019, the company agreed to pay $170 million to settle a similar lawsuit. (See “YouTube Trouble,” published February 20, 2020.)

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