According to reports, a few days ago, the well-known US pay-to-play TV channel HBO (which has also entered the streaming media market) was hit by a consumer class action lawsuit, accused of providing Facebook with users’ viewing history of video and film content without the user’s permission.
The plaintiffs allege that HBO provided the Facebook platform with a list of video service members so that the social network could combine their viewing history with social platform profiles.
The plaintiffs also point out that HBO understands that Facebook can match consumer data from both sources because HBO itself is an advertiser on Facebook’s platform. HBO also knows that Facebook can use the results of the cross-analysis to send more targeted ads to HBO’s video members.
The plaintiffs allege that because HBO never obtained permission from members to disclose information, the company violated the U.S. Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988.
Like a normal website, HBO also reportedly informs users that the company and its partners will use the cookie files the website sends to users to serve targeted ads. However, the aforementioned “Video Privacy Protection Law” has stricter regulations. If TV service providers intend to share users’ viewing history with external agencies, they must first obtain consumer permission. “A standard privacy policy is not sufficient to meet users’ requirements to protect privacy,” the plaintiffs said in their complaint.
In a separate lawsuit involving video site Hulu, part of the Disney Group, a U.S. court ruled in 2015 that although Hulu provided social media Facebook with information about the history of users’ videos, the company did not Belong to knowingly guilty.
In this consumer class-action lawsuit against HBO, the plaintiffs’ law firm has reportedly won a previous similar lawsuit. In that lawsuit, Hearst was forced to pay $50 million to settle charges that consumers accused American media group Hearst of violating Michigan’s consumer privacy laws by selling membership data.