US Justice Department says Disney to pay $10M to settle children’s privacy case

The US Justice Department announced Tuesday that Disney has agreed to pay $10 million in civil penalties to resolve allegations that it violated federal children's privacy law through its popular YouTube content.

"The Justice Department is firmly devoted to ensuring parents have a say in how their children's information is collected and used," said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department's Civil Division in a statement.

The department will take "swift action to root out any unlawful infringement" on parents' rights to protect their children's privacy, Shumate added.

According to the statement, in addition to imposing a $10 million civil penalty on Disney, the order bars Disney from operating on YouTube in a manner that violates the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) and requires Disney to create a program that will ensure it properly complies with COPPA on YouTube going forward.