You see, right now, Crunchyroll is one of those streaming sites that are the most in-demand for anime, are you aware of that? You see, after getting under Sony’s banner, it has managed to capture of the US anime fans and those for whom anime is their life. However, slowly the world is getting notified of a new case, which is a bit of a blind spot for Crunchyroll, which we now know as the Crunchyroll Lawsuit. The company that runs Crunchyroll was notified that it would be the subject of the lawsuit because of its failure to handle the information of the users that had been entrusted to it. Today though, we will be going over the details of this lawsuit, and what is really going on in the legal scene regarding the Cruynchyrol lawsuit, so, let’s get to it then, shall we?
What Started the Lawsuit?
First of all, you should know that they should have placed more emphasis on the involvement of third-party companies in the transfer of users’ information to them instead of such things as the user’s inability to sign up for the service. Like, in a group lawsuit filed in September 2020 against Crunchyroll, the company was accused by a group of users of sharing information about what content a user was watching with a third party without the user’s consent. And just so you know, the time frame covered by the lawsuit is from September 2020 to September 2023. Even though both Sony and Crunchyroll have denied any wrongdoing, they preferred to settle the case in order to prevent a lengthy and expensive legal process that could also affect their reputation.
The Settlement: How Much Was It?
Like, at $16 million, Sony and Crunchyroll have decided to settle by paying instead of proceeding to trial. This means that there is no admission of liability, but a certain amount of money has been set aside for affected users. For sure, if you had an active account on Crunchyroll for the three years in question, you are likely to receive a part of the settlement which is estimated at around $31.24 per head. It is true that while this amount may seem negligible, in such cases, it is a very common practice to distribute the payouts among a large number of claimants.
Deadline: Just so you know though, the deadline to apply for payment is December 12, 2024. If you think you qualify, there’s still time to claim your share.
How to Claim Your Payment
You see if you are a Crunchyroll user and have been affected by the lawsuit, then Crunchyroll offers you an online claim process to follow so long as you are verified as one of the eligible users. Like, if you already submitted a claim, then your payment will be sent via the account or the method mentioned by you. If you haven’t yet submitted an application but believe that you are eligible, you can still go to Crunchyroll’s settlement page and fill up your application form before the deadline.
Though, Why Does This Matter for Streaming and Privacy?
This lawsuit is a great example of the immense lack of privacy that users are currently facing, especially on streaming platforms. When clients register for services, they usually accept the terms regarding the way their information will be treated. Just so you know though, in the case where a company hands over the data without explicit agreement, it can be really problematic for users as they could start to mistrust those services and question their privacy rights. For sure, this case also raised a lot of public interest in Sony, pointing at the honest way the company manages the personal data of users. Similar concerns about customer rights have emerged in other entertainment industry cases, such as the Disneyland Goofy Lawsuit where visitor privacy and safety protocols were questioned. In the end, we must say that this lawsuit really brings the fact forward that online data is kinda a big concern in today’s world where a lot of companies are being charged with the crime of mishandling it.
