Mar 29, 2026 08:00:00

Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service targeting overseas audiences, is being sued for allegedly leaking users' viewing history.

Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service for overseas markets operated by the Sony Group, has been hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging that it shared users' viewing history with marketing companies.

Crunchyroll Sued Over Allegedly Leaking Fans' Anime Viewing Secrets After $16M Settlement

https://www.cbr.com/crunchyroll-sued-fans-anime-viewing-secrets/

Crunchyroll Hit With Class Action Lawsuit Over Allegedly Disclosing Anime Viewing Habits to Third Party - Anime Corner

https://animecorner.me/crunchyroll-hit-with-class-action-lawsuit-over-allegedly-disclosing-anime-viewing-habits-to-third-party/

The plaintiffs allege that Crunchyroll shared users' email addresses, device IDs, and anime viewing history recorded within the app with a marketing company called Braze without their consent.

Crunchyroll had integrated a software development kit (SDK) developed by Braze into its app to send notifications and marketing messages based on users' viewing history, and it is alleged that this process also sent information to Braze.

The plaintiffs argued that such actions violated the

Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a U.S. law that prohibits the disclosure of video viewing history without consent.

Crunchyroll had previously been sued for alleged violations of the VPPA, and in 2023, it settled by agreeing to pay approximately $30 per member, totaling $16 million. At the time, Crunchyroll denied any legal violations, but it is reported that they chose to settle 'to avoid the uncertainty and costs associated with continuing the litigation.'

In this lawsuit, the plaintiffs cited a similar dispute that occurred in 2023, arguing that the recurrence of the same problem is 'particularly egregious.' The plaintiffs are seeking $2,500 (approximately 4,000 yen) in damages per person for each VPPA violation, in addition to legal fees and other litigation costs. Crunchyroll has over 17 million paying subscribers and 130 million users, so the amount of damages sought is expected to be enormous.

Separately, Crunchyroll has also been reported to have suffered a security breach, resulting in the theft of a wide variety of information, including users' names, account names, email addresses, IP addresses, geographical location information, and support ticket contents.

Hackers claim they hacked Crunchyroll and stole personal information of 6.8 million people; Crunchyroll launches investigation into data breach - GIGAZINE