If you subscribed to Crunchyroll between September 8, 2020 and September 20, 2023, check your email. You might qualify for a portion of the $16 billion class action settlement against the Sony-owned anime streaming service. In addition to the timeframe, you must have been a registered user for, and watched videos on, a website, app or service “controlled and/or operated by Crunchyroll.”
Crunchyroll allegedly disclosed its subscribers’ personally identifiable information to third parties like Facebook, Google, and Adobe without its subscribers’ consent, thereby violating the Video Privacy Protection Act, according to the agreement.
If you’re included in the settlement, you’re eligible for about $30, but the Kroll Settlement Administration said the exact dollar amount is unknown, so the figure could be more or less.
Last month, Crunchyroll launched a free, 24/7 channel featuring a selection of popular anime shows on platforms like Amazon Freevee, the Roku Channel, LG channels, and VIZIO WatchFree+.
What are my options in the settlement?
Settlement class members who want part of the $16 billion sum should submit a claim form by December 12, 2023. To fill out a claim form, you’ll need your emailed class member ID.
Otherwise, you can exclude yourself by November 27, 2023, meaning you won’t get a payment, but you’ll still have the right to sue Crunchyroll.
You can take no action, which waives your share of the payment and your rights to take future legal action against the service.
You can also write to the court objecting to the settlement by November 27, 2023, or attend the hearing to share your opinion on the settlement with the court. The hearing is set for December 19, 2023.