Crunchyroll has gotten a lot of attention recently, and not just for its Fall 23 lineup. That’s because Crunchyroll users are entitled to compensation after the streaming platform settled a class action lawsuit against it.
This lawsuit was charged due to privacy concerns. Specifically, Crunchyroll is said to have disclosed subscriber information to third parties. This is a violation of the US Video Privacy Protection Act.
Crunchyroll denied the claim in the lawsuit, but it reached a settlement to avoid continuing the case.
Crunchyroll Reaches Settlement Following Privacy Lawsuit
This issue began back in 2022 when Crunchyroll’s parent company, Sony, was sued by Lisa Cuevas, a Crunchyroll subscriber.
According to Cuevas, she watched Crunchyroll while being logged into her Facebook account. The lawsuit alleged that information about Crunchyroll users is shared with third parties such as Meta (Facebook’s parent company).
Soon, more complaints came out that alleged Crunchyroll shares user data with other companies, including Google and Adobe.
Data sharing isn’t new for companies online, but what makes the allegations concerning is that it was reportedly done without the consent of users.
Such a case is a violation of the US Video Privacy Protection Act as any “video tape service provider” must have “informed, written consent” before they can share information about their users with third parties.
Crunchyroll denies these allegations in the lawsuit. However, the streamer reached a settlement to avoid expenses and uncertainties if the case continued.
Because of the settlement, Crunchyroll must pay a certain amount to US subscribers.
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Crunchyroll US Subscribers to Receive Payment Following Settlement
The entire amount to be paid to all users hasn’t been disclosed. According to reports though, all Crunchyroll users in the US between September 8, 2020, through September 20, 2023, are entitled to approximately USD 30.
Some Crunchyroll users noted on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) that they have received emails about the settlement.
Given that the emails were circulated before more reports about the lawsuit came out, some believed it to be a hoax.
Now that more reports about the lawsuit have been shared, the emails about the settlement are verified. Thus, users are encouraged to submit a claim form through the Kroll Settlement Administration.
Take note that the deadline for submission is December 12, 2023. This means US subscribers have around two months to fill out the form and submit it through the website.
This isn’t the only issue that rocked Crunchyroll recently as there was also the subtitle fiasco for The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons anime.
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Sources: The Mary Sue, Anime News Network
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