Even Disney isn’t immune to the rules of the internet—especially when kids are involved.
The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay $10m to settle claims that it violated US children’s privacy laws.
It failed to clearly label some YouTube videos as made for children.
So what’s the big deal? Without those labels, regulators say, kids were shown targeted ads.
Their data was collected—without parents being properly informed.
The issue stems from an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission.
Children’s Data Rules
The FTC argued that Disney’s mislabelled content slipped through safeguards meant to protect under-13s online.
“Parents should have a say in how their children’s information is collected and used.”
Brett Shumate from the Justice Department announced the court-approved settlement.
Disney has accepted the agreement, stressing that it only applies to certain YouTube uploads—not its own digital platforms.
Still, the scale is striking. Since 2020, Disney and its subsidiaries uploaded content to more than 1,250 YouTube channels. Views exploded during the pandemic.
Some videos—featuring hits like Frozen and Toy Story—were later reclassified by YouTube itself.
The takeaway? In the age of algorithms and autoplay, even family-friendly giants have to mind the fine print.
After all, when it comes to kids’ data, “trust us” just isn’t enough.
