Crunchyroll, the anime streaming platform, has become the target of a new class action lawsuit, with the plaintiffs claiming the company has violated the Video Privacy Protection Act by sharing private user information with a marketing company without permission.
The complaint has accused the platform of sharing the private information of the users with the customer engagement company Braze using the features of the mobile application.
The plaintiffs have accused the platform of violating the Video Privacy Protection Act, which is a US law that restricts the handling of personal information related to the video viewing habits of the users.
The law has been put in place to ensure that the entertainment habits of the people are not linked with their personal identities without permission.
The complaint has accused the platform of sharing the personal information of the users with the company, including their email addresses, devices, and the streaming history of the Crunchyroll application.
The streaming history data appears to include the exact anime title and episode watched by a user. The plaintiffs claim that each viewing session triggered data transmissions to Braze. Over time, those transmissions may allow the marketing company to build a detailed profile of each subscriber.
The lawsuit states that the shared information helped power targeted marketing campaigns. Users claim they began receiving notifications, messages, and email promotions linked to their viewing habits.
The complaint states, “The information transmitted enables Braze to identify exactly what video content each specific Crunchyroll subscriber is watching.”
Crunchyroll Faces New VPPA Lawsuit Over Data Sharing via Braze Integration
The plaintiffs argue that repeated data transfers across many sessions created a record of each user’s viewing behavior. They claim that this process allowed a third party to track their interests without clear consent.
Braze provides software tools that companies use to run marketing campaigns inside apps. These tools support push notifications, email outreach, and other forms of direct messaging.
Developers often embed Braze software into mobile apps to study user behavior and deliver personalized messages. In this case, the plaintiffs claim Crunchyroll used those tools in a way that exposed protected viewing records.
The lawsuit states that the data sharing began as early as 2022.
The VPPA dates back to 1988. Congress created the law after a newspaper published the video rental history of a Supreme Court nominee. Lawmakers viewed that disclosure as a serious privacy breach.
The statute blocks companies from sharing records that connect a person’s identity to specific video content. Some exceptions exist. Companies may share information with user consent, under court order, or during normal business operations that do not expose viewing records.
Guidance from the Congressional Research Service notes that the law focuses on “personally identifiable information” tied to video consumption.
The new complaint argues that Crunchyroll crossed that line by sending identifiable user data along with specific viewing records.
This lawsuit follows an earlier privacy dispute involving the same streaming service.
Streaming Giants Under Fire, The $2,500-Per-View Privacy Battle
In 2023, Crunchyroll agreed to settle a VPPA-related case for $16 million. That case focused on the company’s use of a Facebook Pixel tracking tool. The pixel allowed user activity to pass to Meta’s advertising systems.
As part of that settlement, Crunchyroll agreed to limit similar tracking practices. The new lawsuit claims that the company continued to share viewing data with outside partners after that agreement.
The plaintiffs seek statutory damages allowed under the VPPA. The law permits awards of up to $2,500 per violation.
If the court accepts the claims, the total damages could grow large because each viewing session may count as a separate violation. The plaintiffs also request payment of legal fees and other litigation costs.
The complaint reveals an underlying concern over the way the streaming service treats personal information.
Crunchyroll features numerous forms of anime content, including some that may have strong themes, graphic violence, or sexual content. The sharing of viewing history associated with these programs may compromise personal interests.
The case will put the test for the application of privacy law in the digital age of streaming services and marketing technology within these programs. The courts may also consider the concept of consent in the sharing of information between platforms and software vendors.
For now, the lawsuit adds another layer of pressure on Crunchyroll as the company continues to face scrutiny over its handling of user privacy.
