Paramount is facing a class action lawsuit after being accused of violating federal law by sharing subscribers’ personal viewing history with Meta and TikTok to serve targeted advertisements. The lawsuit, filed in California federal court on 1 November, claims that the company unlawfully disclosed personally identifiable information (PII), including detailed records of users’ viewing activities. The suit seeks at least 5 million dollars in damages for subscribers nationwide.

The legal action, initiated by Victor Cho, a California resident, alleges that Paramount violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a federal law designed to protect users’ privacy by prohibiting the disclosure of their viewing habits. The VPPA was introduced following the leak of Supreme Court justice nominee Robert Bork’s video rental history, which led to public outcry and calls for stronger consumer privacy protections. The law allows for statutory damages of up to 2,500 dollars per class member, and it grants consumers the right to file lawsuits for any violations.

According to the lawsuit, Paramount disclosed users’ viewing activities to Meta and TikTok when subscribers watched content using a browser where they were also logged into these social media platforms. Both Meta and TikTok offer tracking tools that allow developers to collect user data in exchange for free services. The lawsuit alleges that Paramount “knowingly and intentionally” shared this sensitive information without obtaining consent from its subscribers, violating their privacy rights.

This case adds to a growing list of streaming platforms and media companies that have faced legal action under the VPPA. In recent years, major companies like Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Netflix have also been targeted for similar violations. The law has been particularly contentious in the digital age, where data-sharing practices are commonplace. The case against Paramount highlights the continuing struggle over how far companies can go in using consumer data for targeted advertising.

The scope of the VPPA has been a subject of debate in the courts. While the law explicitly protects the privacy of subscribers, there have been differing interpretations regarding what constitutes a “subscriber” and what activities fall under its protections. Last year, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Scripps Network, ruling that subscribers to HGTV.com’s newsletter were not covered under the VPPA. The court found that the plaintiffs did not purchase goods or services from HGTV and, thus, were not considered subscribers under the law.

This decision has influenced similar cases, where defendants argue that simply subscribing to a service or using a platform may not automatically trigger the protections of the VPPA. For example, in a case against AMC, the court ruled that an individual must engage more actively with a provider than merely using the service for their data to be protected. In a separate lawsuit, subscribers of Max, who sued Warner Bros. Discovery for sharing their viewing history with Meta, voluntarily dismissed their case.

The Paramount case highlights the ongoing tensions between privacy protections and data-sharing practices in the streaming industry. As this case progresses, the outcome could further define the limits of the VPPA in the digital age, impacting how streaming platforms manage user data and face consumer privacy concerns.