According to reports, Alphabet’s Google is facing a lawsuit in the United Kingdom, or they may be fined billions of dollars, because Google’s YouTube service tracks children’s data online, a move that violates British privacy laws.
This lawsuit represents more than 5 million children under the age of 13 and their parents. It was filed by privacy activist Duncan McCann and was supported by the science and technology justice organization Foxglove. The claimant estimates that if they win the lawsuit, Google will pay up to 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) in damages , with each child receiving between 100 and 500 pounds.
The indictment alleges that YouTube’s information collection methods for underage users “seriously violated” British and European privacy and data rules, which are designed to protect citizens and allow citizens to control their private information. YouTube “systematically violated relevant laws by collecting data from child users without the prior consent of the parents.”
A YouTube spokesperson declined to comment on the case, but he said that YouTube was not designed for users under the age of 13. YouTube said in an email statement: “We have released the YouTube Kids app, a service designed specifically for children. We are always improving it to better protect the children and families who use YouTube.”
In recent months, privacy regulators have begun to pay more attention to the protection of children’s data. For example, the Irish regulator wants to elaborate on the rights of children under EU data protection rules, and the British Information Commissioner has also issued a code of practice, clearly It specifies the standards that online service companies need to follow.
The claimant stated that this was the first class action lawsuit filed against a technology company on behalf of children in Europe. This litigation was supported by Vannin Capital, a global litigation funding agency.
Foxglove Director Cori Crider (Cori Crider) said: “YouTube’s so-called free service also has its price, which is that children are addicted to online content and are influenced by large technology companies that steal children’s privacy. Google will not regulate its own behavior, and must let the court force them to do so.”
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