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Digital Phablet – A well-known anime streaming service, Crunchyroll, is once again under scrutiny after being accused of sharing viewers’ data with a marketing firm without approval.
According to Art Threat, a lawsuit was filed on March 5 in the Central District of California. The lawsuit claims that the American-based anime streaming platform could face fines of up to $2,500 for each affected user for breaching the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA).
The case, titled “Cabonios v. Crunchyroll, LLC,” outlines allegations that Crunchyroll has been providing its data to the marketing company Braze since 2022. It is believed that more than 17 million subscribers and 130 million accounts could have been impacted, raising widespread privacy alarms among anime enthusiasts using the platform.
Crunchyroll faces legal action over unauthorized sharing of viewer data
A subscriber commented on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Let me know when and where I can pick up my $2,500 because that’s all the info I need.”
Another user added, “That’s why some people prefer to watch on illegal sites—because you don’t have to create an account.”
The lawsuit also claims that Crunchyroll shared sensitive user information, including user IDs and email addresses.
The complaint states, “This transmitted data enables Braze to precisely identify what video content each subscriber is viewing. Over time, via repeated sharing, the app helps build detailed profiles of users’ viewing habits.”
This incident comes three years after Crunchyroll was involved in a similar case for violating the US Video Privacy Protection Act. According to Variety, a lawsuit was filed in 2022 against Sony Pictures Entertainment and the anime streamers for sharing sensitive user data with Meta and other third-party platforms without user approval.
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