Many of you may already know that Tubi actually is the largest free movie and TV streaming service in the US, right? But is it actually free? On paper and as per their claim, it is free, and that is true because you don’t need any subscription at all. But we aren’t talking free in the sense of money, actually. What? Yes, as per this recent Tubi Class Action Lawsuit, many users have clearly said that this so-called free streaming service isn’t free afterall. Actually, the matter revolves around how some users have pointed out and alleged that Tubi was selling their users’ data to third parties and that’s how it is making money and staying in profit. That may not sound that urgent and scary at first, but just keep on reading the details of this case and you’ll know why that matters to you as a Tubi user.
What Exactly Happened With Tubi?
Tubi counts millions of users who appreciate it because it allows people to watch movies and TV shows for free, albeit with ads. However, the company ended up in hot water over its legal side due to the way it handled the data of user viewing activities.
If you go by what users are saying, well, from June 2021 to August 2024, they claim or allege that Tubi gave out their viewing activities to third-party advertisers without them even knowing about it all. As per the complaints filed, the data was of the viewing content, the amount of time they spent watching the content, and, of course, the gadgets used. But what good use of this data really is? Actually, for those who have little to no knowledge about it, this type of data (which may sound insignificant and not that important) can be used for targeted advertising tactics. And we have seen many companies do that time and again; it’s not a new thing, but certainly not a legal practice.
To go into the details even more, see the dispute was over the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a piece of federal law that prohibits companies from disclosing identifiable video-viewing data without the user’s consent. Although the law was enacted in 1988, the plaintiffs argued that its provisions are still directly applicable to contemporary streaming services, so Tubi can’t just go ahead with violating this law.
How the Case Took Shape
The suit titled Gregory v. Tubi, Inc., was initiated in an Illinois state court at first. From the very start, and as it is pretty clear to you already, this case alleges that Tubi had infringed the VPPA through sharing with advertisers of the identifiable viewing information that included watch history and device data without the user’s consent.
It was claimed in the complaint that tracking tools gathered viewing habits and linked them with identifiers such as email addresses or device IDs.
So far, as you might have seen it coming from miles away, yes, Tubi rejected the allegations. Nevertheless, instead of getting involved in a long legal battle, the company made a settlement agreement. No guilt was acknowledged; however, the settlement was like a trial dismissal offer.
Breaking Down the $19.99 Million Settlement
There is already a settlement? Yup, there is, and the settlement amounted to $19.99 million and covered anyone who had used Tubi from June 23, 2021, to August 26, 2024. And because this was a class action lawsuit, sure enough, whoever is qualified for the settlement can be a part of it.
And if you don’t know it yet, like, claims could be submitted either through the internet or by mail, and users were merely required to confirm their account details. No evidence of payment was necessary.
