AMC and several subsidiary streaming services, including HIDIVE, settled a class action lawsuit in Feb. 2024 for violating federal privacy laws. TopClassActions.com says AMC admitted no wrongdoing in the case, but agreed to pay out $8.3 million. Here’s how to know if you’re eligible for compensation.
Included in the litigation were HIDIVE, an anime streaming service, AMC+, Shudder, Acorn TV, ALLBLK, and SundanceNow, including in an AMC bundle. According to the suit, AMC violated the federal Video Protection Privacy Act (VPPA) by using Meta Pixel to track user information and sell that data to third parties without consent.
The suit alleges the violations occurred on the website, mobile apps, and various AMC-related streaming services for three years, beginning on Jan. 18, 2021, and ending on Jan. 10, 2024. Reportedly, the user information was shared with Meta, formerly Facebook, without first notifying subscribers, and that data was then used for targeted anime ads.
How do I know if I’m eligible for compensation?
HIDIVE subscribers in the date range covered in the class action suit can file a claim online by May 16, 2024. As well as a potential cash payout, AMC has agreed to change how it uses Meta Pixel and to offer a one-week free subscription to AMC+. Money awarded will vary depending on how many valid claims are filed.
AMC and HIDIVE’s settlement comes just months after Crunchyroll, a Sony-owned anime streaming service, settled a similar class action suit for data sharing violations and about a year after AMC Networks announced it would no longer offer HIDIVE in certain areas and only be available in select English-speaking countries.