Anime streaming platform Crunchyroll has reportedly settled a class action lawsuit stemming from alleged violations of user information privacy.
Earlier this year, Crunchyroll became the subject of a class action lawsuit after it was accused of disclosing personally identifiable information from subscribers of certain third-party companies such as Facebook, suing the applicants. Sisters Salvador Beltran, Eli Gross and others claimed to have violated the U.S. Video Privacy Act. Following the lawsuit, the company, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment, will pay claimants an equal share of the $30,000 settlement, with estimates suggesting that anyone who submits a form lawsuit claims have the potential to receive up to $30.
Despite the settlement, Sony and Crunchyroll continue to deny the allegations, claiming that the distribution of the data does not violate any official policies or precedents, even though they have chosen to settle anyway. way “to avoid the uncertainties and costs associated with continuing the case”. Sony. VPPA asserts that “personally identifiable information” includes any details capable of identifying the specific video content or service a user requests from a provider that may be used by third party companies for targeted marketing.
The lawsuit began in September 2022 and has only now reached a settlement, which will see Sony avoid further legal chaos in exchange for a $30,000 payment. According to the official Kroll Settlement Administration website, this payout is for anyone with an active Crunchyroll account between September 8, 2020 and September 20, 2023, who who used this service to stream video in any capacity and submitted the request form before December 20, 2023. 12.
Sony has faced legal troubles in the past for violations related to privacy and user information, most of which were settled out of court with monetary payments. The company has also seen a number of cyberattacks on some of its major platforms in the past, such as the massive breach of Sony’s PlayStation online services that resulted in the loss of millions of financial information. user’s key and personal information are exposed.
At this time, there is no specific information on when eligible users who submit claim forms can expect to receive payments, although the submission deadline is December 12. Eligible users will receive email notifying them of their eligibility for payment and that they can find a claim form for the case on the official Kroll Settlement Administration website for the case.
Source: Kroll Settlement Administration