The New England Patriots recently agreed to pay $2.16 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over the invasion of user privacy by their mobile application. The lawsuit alleges that the team’s application collected and shared users’ personal identity information (PII), including viewing records and precise geographical locations, through built-in tools (Rover SDK and Google Anvato API) without users’ consent, violating the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). The Patriots denied the accusations but agreed to a settlement and stop using the relevant tools, provided that they continue to transfer sensitive data.
According to the settlement agreement, the Patriots will set up a compensation fund of 2.16 million US dollars, and eligible collective members are expected to receive approximately 120 US dollars each. Federal Judge Margaret Guzman initially approved the agreement and scheduled a final hearing for October 9. This case originated from a complaint made by fan Anthony Serra in February 2024, accusing the team of sharing user data with third parties for advertising targeting.
The Video Privacy Protection Act was originally designed to safeguard the privacy of video rentals and has now been extended to online video services. Enterprises such as the Patriots use Anvato and Rover tools to provide videos and track user behavior, but have been accused of over-collecting data. This settlement reflects the challenges of privacy protection in the technological age and also provides a reference for similar cases.
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