YouTube 'illegally collecting children's data'

Man stands next to a YouTube sign
YouTube stands accused of illegally collecting children's data Credit: Bloomberg

Consumer rights groups are set to file a complaint against YouTube at the US Federal Trade Commission claiming that it is violating the law by harvesting data of children aged under 13. 

Google-owned YouTube claims that its service is for children aged older than 13 but figures suggest that its main website is one of the most popular among children aged 8-12 in the US.

More than 20 campaign groups including the Center for Digital Democracy allege that YouTube makes large sums of money by collecting identifiable information on under 13s including geolocation, types of devices used, mobile phone numbers and browsing habits to identify people over time across different websites.

In the US, the law...

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