Sony-owned Crunchyroll faces class-action lawsuit for allegedly sharing private viewing data with marketin

Crunchyroll, the anime streaming platform owned by Sony, is currently facing a class-action lawsuit in the United States. The suit, filed as *Cabonios v. Crunchyroll, LLC*, alleges that the platform improperly shared users’ private viewing habits and personal information – including email addresses, device identifiers, and specific anime titles watched – with a marketing technology company called Braze, without obtaining proper consent. Plaintiffs claim Crunchyroll embedded a Braze software development kit (SDK) in its mobile app to transmit this data, enabling targeted advertising.

The lawsuit centers on the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) of 1988, which protects consumers’ video-watching history. Violations of the VPPA could result in damages of up to $2,500 per affected user. This isn’t the first time Crunchyroll has faced such allegations; in 2023, the company settled a similar class-action lawsuit for $16 million.

Plaintiffs argue that the continued data-sharing practices are particularly concerning given the previous legal action. As of the time of reporting, Crunchyroll has not publicly responded to the new allegations, but could face significant financial liability if the case proceeds as a class action and the plaintiffs succeed.

(Source：The Economic Times)