Google will pay $8.25m to settle child data-tracking allegations

Google agreed to pay $8.25M to settle claims that AdMob collected children’s data from “Designed for Families” apps without parental consent, while a separate class action over YouTube’s use of cookies and persistent identifiers on child-directed channels was approved, following a prior $170M COPPA fine. The article outlines allegations that Google tracked IPs, device IDs, geolocation, and usage data for targeted ads, and notes families’ potential payouts of $20–$30. It also highlights recent FTC COPPA rule amendments introducing explicit opt-in for targeted ads to children, expanded definitions (e.g., biometric and government ID data), stricter disclosure and retention requirements, and an April compliance deadline, questioning whether such penalties meaningfully deter future violations.