YouTube may be illegally collecting kids’ data

It's claimed that the firm has been improperly gathering information when children use its site.

The news: A coalition of 23 advocacy groups has filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission about the video site violating a children’s privacy law.

Details: The complaint says that YouTube knowingly gathers data about children under 13 years of age, tracks them across the web, and delivers ads to them without the parental consent that is required by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

YouTube says: It will “evaluate if there are things [it] can do to improve,” in a statement issued to the Guardian. It also notes that the main YouTube site “is not for children,” with its Kids app especially designed for under-13s.

Why it matters: The news comes in the wake of Facebook’s data scandal. As the Wall Street Journal notes, all tech firms must brace for even tighter privacy rules—and, clearly, Facebook may not be the only one that's found to be in need of them.