Authors

Kylie Clouse

Cash Kid: The Need for Increased Financial Protections of Internet Child Stars on YouTube

Abstract

This Note explores the gaps in California’s child entertainment law and the dangers of leaving child internet stars unprotected. This Note argues that while California could update their “Coogan Law” to include young internet stars, a previous attempt (and failure) to do so suggests that this may not be the best way to address the issue. In the alternative, YouTube itself has the framework to address this problem through its Partner Program. If YouTube were to fix the problem directly, it would leave child stars on other online platforms unprotected; but it could set a precedent among other platforms that this is a problem worth solving. Part I of this Note provides background information on YouTube monetization policies, child entertainment laws, and child privacy concerns. Part II explores the feasibility of California expanding its Coogan Law to include online child stars within its protection. Part III discusses the alternative solution of YouTube addressing this issue directly by modeling a portion of its Partner Program after California’s Coogan Law.

This abstract has been taken from the author's introduction.

Repository Citation

Kylie Clouse, Cash Kid: The Need for Increased Financial Protections of Internet Child Stars on YouTube, 65 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 195 (2023), https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmlr/vol65/iss1/5