Patriot Brief

• Disney agreed to pay $10 million to settle alleged violations of federal children’s privacy law.

• The Justice Department says Disney improperly collected data from children without parental consent.

• The settlement forces Disney to change how it operates on YouTube going forward.

For a company that never misses a chance to lecture parents about values, Disney just got a very expensive reminder that rules still apply — even when you’re wrapped in fairy dust and branding. The Justice Department’s case isn’t about a technical slip-up. It’s about a media giant allegedly failing to label child-directed content properly while quietly collecting data and serving targeted ads to kids.

That matters, because the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act isn’t some obscure regulation buried in fine print. It exists for one reason: parents get to decide how their children’s information is collected and used. When a company as large and sophisticated as Disney ignores that obligation, it’s not an accident — it’s a business decision that assumes the upside outweighs the risk.

Disney’s reach makes the violation worse, not better. Billions of views. Massive exposure. A brand that markets itself as family-first. And yet, according to federal prosecutors, the basic step of designating content for children was skipped, opening the door to data collection that never should have happened in the first place.

The $10 million penalty is significant, but the compliance requirements may sting more. Disney now has federal oversight baked into how it handles YouTube content, a clear signal that regulators aren’t interested in trusting promises after the fact.

This case cuts through the mythology. Disney isn’t a cultural institution above scrutiny. It’s a corporation, driven by incentives, and perfectly capable of cutting corners when it thinks no one is watching. The message from regulators is simple and overdue: when it comes to children’s privacy, “family-friendly” branding doesn’t buy immunity.

From Western Journal:

It turns out even Disney’s “magic” has legal — and costly — limits.

The Justice Department’s Office of Public Affairs announced in a news release Tuesday that it has reached a settlement with the entertainment giant over alleged violations of federal children’s privacy law.

Under an order entered by a federal court, Disney Worldwide Services Inc. and Disney Entertainment Operations LLC — collectively referred to as “Disney” — will pay $10 million in civil penalties.

The settlement stems from allegations that Disney violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, commonly known as COPPA.

According to the Justice Department, the violations involved Disney’s handling of data connected to popular video content that’s distributed on YouTube and widely viewed by children.

A complaint filed in a California federal court by the DOJ alleged that Disney failed to properly designate certain YouTube videos as content directed at children, the news release states.

Disney to Pay $10 Million to Settle Children’s Privacy Case https://t.co/Evru1h35ax

— WSJ Business News (@WSJbusiness) December 30, 2025

Because of that failure, the news release states, Disney collected data from young viewers and served them targeted advertisements without first providing notice to parents or obtaining required parental consent.

The issue is especially significant given Disney’s reach.

Its YouTube videos attract billions of views in the United States, the DOJ news release states, meaning the alleged violations could have affected a massive number of children and families.

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

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