WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Trade Commission is fining Google’s video site YouTube $136 million to settle allegations it collected children’s personal data without their parents’ consent.
Google will pay an additional $34 million to New York state to resolve similar allegations brought by the state’s attorney general.
The fine marks the largest the FTC has leveled against Google, although it’s dwarfed by the $5 billion fine the agency imposed against fellow tech giant Facebook earlier this year for privacy violations.
The FTC found that YouTube violated a law that requires parental consent before companies can collect children’s personal information.
YouTube has said its service is intended for ages 13 and older, although younger kids commonly watch videos on the site and many popular YouTube channels feature cartoons or sing-a-longs made for children.
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