People are more aware of how companies collect, use, and share personal information, so digital privacy has been getting more attention lately. The streaming service business is getting a lot of attention because AMC Networks, Inc. is being accused of violating people’s privacy.
A class action lawsuit was filed because of this dispute. It said that AMC gave third-party tracking companies personally identifiable information about its registered users without their permission, which could be against the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA).
The $8.3 million AMC Class Action deal is meant to address these complaints by paying those who were affected and requiring major changes to how AMC handles data privacy in its operations. This case shows an important turning point in the rights of digital consumers and stresses how important it is to strictly follow privacy laws that are meant to protect user information in a digital world that is becoming more and more linked.
AMC VPPA Lawsuit Settlement
The case was only about people who used six AMC streaming services: HIDIVE, ALLBLK, SundanceNow, AMC+, and Shudder. For a large group of users, it affected the time from January 18, 2021, to January 10, 2024. Industry numbers show that streaming services have hundreds of millions of subscribers around the world. AMC’s sites add several million active users to this growing digital ecosystem. This kind of sharing of data has big effects that could affect thousands of people who are worried about their privacy rights.
Eligibility for the AMC+ VPPA Settlement Class Action
People who think their privacy may have been violated need to find out if they are eligible for the AMC VPPA Settlement. The most important things to look at to see if you belong in the settlement class are:
Residency
People who live in the United States can join the settlement. This geographic requirement is common in these kinds of deals. It makes sure that the scope is limited to the area where the lawsuit was filed.
Registration
A person must be a registered user of at least one of AMC’s designated programs in order to be eligible. Some of these sites are HIDIVE, ALLBLK, SundanceNow, AMC+, and Shudder.
Activity
Not only does a person need to be registered, they must also have asked for or received video content from at least one of these sites. This action had to have taken place within the given time range.
Relevant Time Period
Requesting or getting video material must have happened between January 18, 2021, and January 10, 2024. This time frame includes the alleged privacy violations, so activities that happened during these dates are important to the claims.
Exclusions
People are not in the settlement class if they have already hired a lawyer to file an arbitration claim on their behalf for similar problems. This exclusion stops people from getting legal benefits twice, and it makes sure that the deal only helps people who haven’t already gone to court for the same reason twice.
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What Does the AMC VPPA Settlement Provide?
- The settlement set up a $8.3 million fund for the class members, after taking out attorney fees and other costs. Each qualified class member will get an equal amount of this fund.
- Everyone in the class who makes a valid claim is eligible to a digital subscription to AMC+ for one week.
- AMC needs to stop using the Meta Pixel and other tracking technologies or change how they work so that they don’t reveal specific video material that people have watched without their clear permission.
As part of this deal, AMC will pay money to people who have complained in the past and change how they do things in the future to stop privacy breaches.
AMC Settlement Timeline and Key Events
| Key Event | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Claim Submission Deadline | April 9, 2024 | Last date for submitting the claim form to be eligible for monetary compensation. |
| Exclusion Deadline | April 9, 2024 | Deadline to opt out of the settlement, allowing individuals to retain rights to sue AMC on similar grounds. |
| Objection Deadline | April 9, 2024 | Last date to file an objection to the settlement if disagreeing with its terms. |
| Final Approval Hearing | May 16, 2024 | Court hearing to consider the fairness and adequacy of the proposed settlement. |
| Settlement Final Approval | May 16, 2024 | Date when the court granted final approval to the settlement. |
| Payment and In-Kind Relief Distribution | August 24, 2024 | Date when monetary payments and in-kind relief benefits (one week of AMC+ subscription) are distributed to valid claimants. |
Within 90 days of the final judgment, AMC must prove that it has changed how it handles third-party tracking of personal information.
AMC Settlement Claim Process
Users who were affected had to fill out and send in a Claim Form by April 9, 2024, in order to be qualified for compensation. The only way for people to get money from the settlement was to fill out this form. People who didn’t fill out a claim form lost their right to reimbursement, but they could still sue AMC separately for the same reason.