COPPA Spell The End For YouTube As We Know It?

YouTube will be greatly impacted like never before under the FTC's Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) starting January 2020.

A number of people have already deleted their videos. The folks who depend on monetizing their videos will be impacted the most. Not only are their videos in question but the very ads that appear on them as well (which they have no control over). Meaning they'd have to give up their advertising revenue completely or risk getting fined. Thus the quality of YouTube will be greatly diminished.

Music videos as well a video game screen grabs could be subject to nearly a $42,000 fine for each deemed unfit for children (whatever that means). Same could apply to many of mine on YouTube. Even if you mark them for adults only doesn't let you off the hook. Who knows how many on this blog I linked to could be in violation as well.

I seriously believe two things are going on here. In my opinion this isn't about kids. Forget about the so-called 'nanny state'. This isn't about that. Rather it's about raking in huge amounts dough for the government. For years governments all over the world have been hitting Google with millions of dollars in fines so they can line their coffers. This gives them one more excuse to not only whack Google but now it users as well.

The second reason is more sinister. When the FTC deems what is appropriate and is not begins to crack the door open towards government censorship. If the FTC gets away with this it could be only the beginning.

As for me I will monitor this closely come 2020. I dread the decisions I may have to make as our government seeks to exercise greater and greater control over all things. We were promised less regulations by this president. COPPA is NOT heading in that direction to be sure.

Uploaded Nov 18, 2019

(The deadline 12/09/2919 has passed for comments to the FTC)

LINK TO : COPPA and YouTube: Answering Your Top Questions (12/17/2019)

LINK TO: COPPA @ The Federal Trade Commission


Federal Trade Commission (09/04/2019)
Google and YouTube Will Pay Record $170 Million for Alleged Violations of Children’s Privacy Law"In addition to the monetary penalty, the proposed settlement requires Google and YouTube to develop, implement, and maintain a system that permits channel owners to identify their child-directed content on the YouTube platform so that YouTube can ensure it is complying with COPPA. In addition, the companies must notify channel owners that their child-directed content may be subject to the COPPA Rule’s obligations..."