Four nonprofit organizations focused on safeguarding children's online privacy have called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to examine YouTube's practices. Recent reports have alleged that YouTube is still delivering personalized ads on videos intended for children, raising concerns about compliance with regulations.

These groups have urged the FTC to promptly investigate YouTube's data and advertising methods to prevent potential violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the FTC Act. They worry that YouTube might continue gathering data from children, which could be against the law.

Initial reports last week from Adalytics and Fairplay, both corroborated by the New York Times, suggested that YouTube's measures to block personalized ads on children's content might not be effective. Ad campaigns run by these groups found instances of behavioral ad targeting on videos for kids, which should be prohibited by COPPA.

Google, which owns YouTube, argued that these reports misunderstand how advertising functions on content for kids. A Google spokesperson emphasized that they do not allow ad personalization or targeting children with ads.

Child advocates remain skeptical of Google's claims and question the effectiveness of its measures. Fairplay's investigations found instances where behavioral ads appeared on children's videos despite YouTube's assurances.

The groups, including Fairplay, the Center for Digital Democracy, Common Sense Media, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, perceive a significant issue regarding child privacy on YouTube. They believe substantial action is needed to address this problem.

YouTube is already under a consent decree by the FTC for COPPA compliance, having faced a $170 million penalty in 2019 for breaching child privacy regulations. Advocacy groups now suggest that a new FTC investigation could lead to even larger fines if widespread violations are discovered.

Experts propose that hefty fines could be necessary to compel YouTube to take more effective steps to protect children's data. They recommend requiring parental consent for all data collection related to youth or potentially stopping the monetization of such data altogether.