Adhere to the COPPA: A look at how federal law is affecting YouTube

Federal law has Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonators saying “Adhere the COPPA,” as failure to mark YouTube videos as “for kids” or “not for kids” can result in some pretty severe consequences.
WordPlay T. Jay is offering advice for how to stay ahead of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Overseen by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), COPPA imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.
In September, the FTC issued a $170 million fine to YouTube over the act, saying the site violated the COPPA by tracking viewing history of minors to facilitate targeted advertising.
In response, YouTube added an option for content producers to mark their videos as “child-oriented.” Not marking videos correctly could lead to a producer getting sued by the FTC for up to $42,000 per video.
WordPlay T. Jay says that’s why it’s important to mark each video correctly. You can go to your YouTube studio and mark the whole page as for kids or not for kids, then edit videos individually as needed.
While this could result in fines for those who make music not for kids, it also is a slippery slope for people who actually do make child-oriented content, T. Jay says.
Videos for children lose the community features and targeted advertising, which is how many YouTube content creators make their money. For this reason, whether making content for children or adults, T. Jay says it’s important to vary your income sources.
One way is by going to www.patreon.com, which is a membership platform based in the United States that provides business tools for creators to run a subscription content service, with ways for artists to build relationships and provide exclusive experiences to their subscribers, or "patrons.”
Other ways include selling merchandise or subscription services.
In the end, make sure your videos are marked correctly so the FTC doesn’t come knocking at your door.
For more information about COPPA, check out the video below.
And, speaking of kids, if you would like to help some, make a donation to Perry G. Keithley Middle School in Parkland, Wash., for its Winter Wishes Program! The program aims to grant a wish for every student at the school where T. Jay works, which is in a neighborhood he describes as, “challenging to live in.” To make a donation, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/perry-g-keithley039s-winter-wishes.