Video Privacy Protection Act

Video Privacy Protection Act Class Action Lawsuits: What You Need to Know

Consumers involved in a Video Privacy Protection Act class action, using services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, are protected by the VPPA, enacted in 1988.

The VPPA is a federal law that governs the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) that is collected by video rental services.

This law is meant to protect the privacy of individuals who rent or purchase videos by requiring companies to obtain the consumer’s consent before sharing their information. The law was enacted in response to a newspaper’s publication of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork’s video rental history. It is also known as the Bork Bill.

The VPPA prohibits video rental or streaming services from disclosing PII without the written consent of the consumer. PII includes a customer’s name, address, telephone number, and any information that identifies the specific video materials that have been rented or streamed.

If a video rental or streaming service violates the VPPA, the consumer may file a lawsuit to recover damages with Shamis & Gentile, P.A.. Class action lawsuits are common in VPPA cases, as many consumers may be affected by the same privacy violation.

VPPA Class Action Lawsuit Examples

Over the years there have been several examples of class action lawsuits when it comes to the VPPA.

For instance, Netflix was on the receiving end of such a lawsuit back in 2011, where it was alleged that Netflix kept the viewing history of their customers for up to two years after their subscriptions had ended. Netflix eventually settled the lawsuit for $9 million and agreed to change its data retention policies.

Disney has since 2020 been involved in another class action lawsuit, due to people alleging that the company violated the VPPA, by tracking children’s activities on its Disney+ streaming service without parental consent. The lawsuit is still ongoing.

Advice for Consumers

If you are a consumer who uses video rental or online video streaming services, you would be well served by reading up on your privacy rights under the VPPA. There are also some different things you can do to protect your rights better

If you believe your data has been compromised, contact Shamis & Gentile, P.A. today for a free case review. You may be entitled to compensation through a Video Privacy Protection Act class action lawsuit.