Disney fined $10m for mislabeling kids’ YouTube videos and violating privacy law

Disney will pay a $10m settlement after the Federal Trade Commission said it violated children’s privacy rights by mislabeling kid-targeted content on YouTube, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The agreement, first proposed in September 2025, stems from Disney’s use of blanket NMFK labels on entire YouTube channels rather than reviewing videos individually, allowing data collection and ad targeting on some child-targeted content.

The FTC noted that more than 300 videos had been reclassified as child-directed across channels including Pixar, Disney Movies, and Walt Disney Animation Studios, but were not always labelled correctly. The agency also highlighted that COPPA requires parental consent before collecting data from children under 13, and that Disney must notify parents before collecting such information and review video labeling.

Under the settlement, Disney must implement additional protections unless YouTube introduces age-assurance technologies, with the FTC describing this as forward-looking.