We Need to Save YouTube!!!! · 11:41pm Nov 20th, 2019

For those of you are unaware, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently discovered that YouTube was in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA), a law that is meant to keep companies from gathering data on children under 13.

Of course every child lies about their age online.

Now this wouldn’t be such a problem if it weren’t for the settlement that the FTC and YouTube came to over the violation.

Instead of holding the YouTube corporation responsible, and punishing them, they’re effectively putting all the responsibility and pressure on YouTubers.

Yes, I know, that makes no sense.

Now content creators, like Markiplier for example, have to mark every video they have and will post as either for children or not for children.

If they mark the video as “for kids” then it becomes unsearchable, impossible to comment on, and can’t be monetized.

If you label as “not for kids” (or for kids), but the FTC thinks it should have been the other way around, then they can either:

A) Delete the video
B) Delete the channel
or C) Fine the “offending” YouTuber approximately $42,000 per flagged video.

Does this sound insane? Because it is.

Ignoring the existence of the YouTube Kids app, or that the guidelines set by the COPPA law itself are vague, non-specific, and weirdly worded, the YouTubers were not the one’s violating the law, it was the corporation!

If this is allowed to go into effect, this will kill YouTube as a platform, and leave many career YouTubers with out a job or source of income.

There is good news, however.

Firstly, there is a petition on Change.com HERE to stop this.

Secondly, the FTC have temporarily opened a page until December 9th, where people can leave comments on this situation, to consider changes. The link to that page is right HERE.

I beg of you, sign the petition, leave a well written, articulate comment, and share this information on every group forum or blog post you can. Share it on every social media platform you can access, DM large YouTubers like Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Pewdipie, everybody & anybody.

The videos I’ve linked below go into further detail about how this will destroy YouTube, as well as the problems with COPPA itself.

Please everyone, we need to save YouTube.