Disney Pays $10M FTC Settlement Over Children’s YouTube Data

The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay a $10 million settlement to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over allegations that it failed to properly label children-directed videos on YouTube as "Made for Kids," violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This mislabeling allowed the collection of personal data from children under 13 without parental consent, enabling targeted advertising on those videos. The issue pertains to content uploaded between 2020 and 2022 on YouTube, not Disney's own platforms like Disney+. Disney has committed to enhancing its compliance programs and implementing stricter review processes to prevent future violations, including developing better tools to categorize content appropriately. The settlement highlights the ongoing regulatory scrutiny of online child privacy and data collection practices by major content providers. Disney emphasized that these violations were unintentional and limited to third-party platforms, reaffirming its dedication to children’s safety and privacy.