The policy states that Google prohibits use of its products by children under 13 without parental consent, and commits to deleting data collected from under-13 users without verifiable parental consent.
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This provision establishes Google's COPPA compliance posture for general Google services; YouTube operates a separate YouTube Kids product with additional protections, and the FTC has previously taken enforcement action against YouTube regarding collection of data from children on the main platform.
Severity downgraded from high to medium, language changed from permissive ('don't knowingly collect') to affirmative prohibition, and explicit parental consent requirement added with commitment to rapid deletion if violation occurs.
View full change record →Under this clause, children under 13 are not authorized to use Google services without parental consent, and the agreement states Google will delete data collected from under-13 users if discovered. Families should be aware that the general YouTube platform has age restrictions and that YouTube Kids is a separately governed product.
How other platforms handle this
The Service is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information without your cons...
enableGpcSdk: true, gpcSetting: { privacyPolicyLink: '/Privacy-Security-Policy-a-282.html' }
We process Global Privacy Control signals as opt-out requests for the sale or sharing of personal information.
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"We do not allow Google products to be used by anyone under the age of 13 unless their parent or guardian has provided consent, or as permitted by applicable laws. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under the age of 13 without parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.— Excerpt from YouTube Ads's Google Privacy Policy
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), enforced by the FTC, which requires verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. YouTube's specific COPPA compliance has been subject to FTC enforcement; organizations advertising on YouTube should be aware of content targeting restrictions for child-directed content. 2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High for organizations advertising on YouTube who target or may reach child audiences. The FTC has taken significant enforcement actions involving YouTube and child-directed advertising. Advertisers using YouTube Ads on child-directed or mixed-audience content should evaluate their compliance with COPPA and YouTube's child-directed content policies. 3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: COPPA applies to US users under 13. EU/EEA: GDPR Article 8 sets the age of digital consent at 13-16 depending on member state. UK: the Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code) imposes additional requirements for services likely to be accessed by minors. 4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Advertisers using YouTube Ads should review Google's policies on child-directed content and ensure their campaigns are not targeting or serving personalized ads on content identified as directed at children. Failure to comply with YouTube's content and targeting policies for child-directed content may affect campaign eligibility. 5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Organizations advertising on YouTube should audit their audience targeting configurations and content placement settings for compliance with COPPA and YouTube's child safety advertising policies. Legal teams should review Google's YouTube Kids data practices separately from the general privacy policy.
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This provision establishes Google's COPPA compliance posture for general Google services; YouTube operates a separate YouTube Kids product with additional protections, and the FTC has previously taken enforcement action against YouTube regarding collection of data from children on the main platform.
Under this clause, children under 13 are not authorized to use Google services without parental consent, and the agreement states Google will delete data collected from under-13 users if discovered. Families should be aware that the general YouTube platform has age restrictions and that YouTube Kids is a separately governed product.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.
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