Google Settles Lawsuit Over Children’s Privacy for $30 Million
Google has reached a $30 million settlement to resolve accusations of violating children’s privacy on YouTube. The lawsuit claimed that the company collected personal data from minors without obtaining necessary parental consent, which was then used for targeted advertising.
This preliminary settlement was submitted in a federal court in San Jose, California, and is pending approval by U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen.
Interestingly, Google maintains its innocence but chose to settle the claims. Back in 2019, the company already agreed to pay a hefty $170 million to address similar charges from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Some critics felt that past agreement didn’t go far enough in holding the company accountable.
On Tuesday, Google didn’t provide immediate comments when asked about the settlement. Likewise, the plaintiffs’ lawyers also didn’t respond right away to inquiries.
The lawsuit, initiated by parents of 34 children, accused Google of infringing multiple state laws by enabling content providers to attract children with engaging content like cartoons and nursery rhymes, all while gathering personal information, even after the previous settlement.
In January, van Keulen dismissed claims against various content providers—such as Hasbro, Mattel, Cartoon Network, and DreamWorks Animation—indicating a lack of evidence connecting these companies to Google’s alleged actions.
Mediation opened shortly after, culminated in the recent settlement. The proposed class covers U.S. minors under the age of 13 who accessed YouTube from July 1, 2013, to April 1, 2020. Legal representatives for the plaintiffs estimate that the class could consist of 35 million to 45 million children.
If approx. 1% to 2% of these individuals file claims—similar to past cases—each claimant could receive between $30 and $60, net of any legal fees. The lawyers are aiming to secure up to $9 million from the settlement for their services.
For context, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, recorded a net income of $62.7 billion from $186.7 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025.
The case is logged as C.H. et al v Google LLC et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 19-07016.
