If you’re a user of HIDIVE, Shudder, or any of the streaming services associated with the AMC media brand (not the movie theatre chain), you may be entitled to money. AMC Networks has agreed to resolve an 8.3 million dollar lawsuit regarding claims that it violated federal privacy laws by allegedly tracking user data and selling it to third parties. The company had chosen to settle the legal issue via settlement now rather than stretch it out in a prolonged legal case.
People eligible to file a claim are any users who watched videos through AMC+, Shudder, Acorn TV, ALLBLK, SundanceNow, and/or HIDIVE services on an online website, mobile app or streaming service controlled by AMC between the periods of Jan. 18, 2021, to Jan. 10, 2024. You can still join the claims for the settlement if you’re eligible which remains open until May 16, 2024.
Selling third-party data on users who utilize these subscriptions and services has seen a crackdown by the US government as of late. Crunchyroll had just settled a lawsuit just a few months ago regarding similar issues, and in one of the biggest cases, Facebook (now Meta) had to resolve a large 725 million dollar settlement for its lawsuit relating to Cambridge Analytica, which stored copious amounts of users data without consent which was then found as psychological warfare tools to influence the 2016 elections.
AMC had used Meta Pixel tracking on its website to track user activity and share that information with third parties without their consent. A violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). AMC has promised to change its use of Meta Pixel to be compliant with the regulations of the VPPA from here on out.
For any victims who agree to the terms of the settlement, the 8.3 million will be distributed evenly on a net settlement fund, though how much it will be paid out per user remains uncertain, as some victims have multiple claims. There will also be eligibility for a one-week complimentary subscription to AMC’s primary streaming service AMC+.
