Google and YouTube $30M Children's Privacy Settlement

Individuals or their children who were younger than age 13 and watched children’s content on YouTube in the United States between July 1, 2013, and April 1, 2020, may qualify to claim a cash payment from a class action settlement.

Google LLC and YouTube LLC agreed to pay $30 million to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging they unlawfully collected personal data from children younger than age 13 without parental consent while those children watched content directed at children on YouTube.

Who is eligible to file a claim?

Class members must meet all of the following criteria:

• They lived in the United States at any time from July 1, 2013, to April 1, 2020.
• They (or their child) were younger than 13 years old during that period.
• They (or their child) watched content allegedly directed to children on YouTube during that time.

Additional details

• If the person who qualifies for the settlement is younger than age 18 at the time of claim submission, a parent or legal guardian must complete and sign the claim form on their behalf.
• Each eligible child is considered a settlement class member.

How much can class members get?

Pro rata payment: The total settlement fund is $30 million, which the settlement administrator will distribute to eligible class members after deductions for settlement administration costs, attorneys' fees and costs, service awards to the class representatives' guardians and taxes.

The settlement administrator will divide the fund equally among all valid claimants.

How to claim a class action rebate

Class members can file a claim online or download, print and complete the PDF claim form and mail it to the settlement administrator. The deadline is Jan. 21, 2026.

Settlement administrator's mailing address: YouTube Privacy Settlement, c/o A.B. Data Ltd., P.O. Box 173131 Milwaukee, WI 53217

Individuals should submit one claim form per eligible child.

Required information

Claimants must provide the class member’s full name and the parent/guardian's full name (for minors), as well as the settlement class member’s date of birth.

Payout options

• Electronic payment
• Paper check

$30 million settlement fund breakdown

The $30,000,000 settlement fund includes:

• Settlement administration costs: Up to $1,000,000
• Attorneys’ fees: Up to $9,000,000
• Attorneys’ expenses: Up to $250,000
• Service awards to class representatives’ guardians: Up to $1,500 each
• Payments to eligible class members: The remainder of the fund

Important dates

• Deadline for exclusion: Dec. 8, 2025
• Fairness hearing: Jan. 13, 2026
• Deadline to file a claim: Jan. 21, 2026

When is the Google and YouTube privacy settlement payout date?

The settlement administrator will issue payments to eligible class members after it resolves any appeals and the court grants final approval to the settlement.

Why did this class action settlement happen?

The class action lawsuit alleged Google collected personal data from children younger than age 13 who watched content directed at children on YouTube without parental consent in violation of privacy laws. The plaintiffs claimed the companies used this data for advertising purposes.

Google denies any wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid the risks and costs of continued litigation.

Sources

1. Class notice
2. Claim form
3. Settlement agreement
4. Settlement FAQ