Crunchyroll Is Being Sued Again for Sharing Your Viewing Data Here’s What It Means for You

A new class action lawsuit filed March 5, 2026 in federal court in California accuses Crunchyroll of violating the federal Video Privacy Protection Act by sharing subscribers’ email addresses, device IDs, and the specific anime titles they watched with a third-party marketing company called Braze — without user consent. This is not the first time. Crunchyroll settled a nearly identical lawsuit in 2023 for $16 million. The 2023 claim deadline is permanently closed. The 2026 lawsuit has no open claim form yet — but if you are a current or recent subscriber, this case directly concerns your data.

Field	Detail
Case Name	Cabonios et al. v. Crunchyroll LLC
Case Number	2:26-cv-02373
Court	U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Filed	March 5, 2026
Defendants	Crunchyroll LLC (owned by Sony)
Law Violated (Alleged)	Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA)
Damages Sought	$2,500 per violation per class member + punitive damages
Prior Settlement (2023)	$16 million (~$30 per person)
2023 Claim Deadline	Closed — December 12, 2023
2026 Claim Form	Not open yet — litigation phase
Settlement Status	No settlement reached

Where things stand right now:

• The 2026 lawsuit is in active litigation — no settlement has been reached and no claim form is currently available.
• The 2023 settlement claim deadline has permanently passed and no new claims are being accepted for that settlement.
• Crunchyroll has not publicly responded to the 2026 allegations or issued a statement regarding the new case.

What Crunchyroll Is Accused of Doing — and Why It Matters That This Already Happened Once

Crunchyroll has over 100 million app downloads and 13 million paid subscribers. It streams anime, Asian dramas, and thousands of episodes of titles like Naruto, Attack on Titan, One Piece, and My Hero Academia. For most subscribers, signing in to watch an episode feels like a private activity. The lawsuit says it is anything but.

The plaintiffs allege Crunchyroll embedded Braze’s software development kit in its mobile application, allowing the company to systematically transmit users’ email addresses, persistent device identifiers, and the titles of specific video content they watched to Braze without their consent.

According to the plaintiffs, this unauthorized pipeline allowed Braze to build detailed profiles of user viewing behavior — data then allegedly used to power targeted marketing, sending users specific in-app notifications, messages, and email campaigns based directly on what they were watching.

What makes this particularly significant legally is the timing. Despite agreeing in the 2023 settlement to modify its use of tracking technologies to comply with the VPPA, Crunchyroll has continued to violate the statute through its use of the Braze SDK. The plaintiffs characterize this pattern of conduct as a willful disregard for users’ privacy.

Related article: PayPal Is Facing Three Separate Lawsuits Right Now Here’s What Each One Means

The Law Behind the Lawsuit

The Video Privacy Protection Act was originally enacted by Congress in 1988 to prevent video rental stores from disclosing customers’ VHS rental histories — and courts have consistently held that the law applies fully to modern streaming platforms. Under the VPPA, sharing a subscriber’s personally identifiable information — including what specific videos they watch — requires that person’s written consent given separately from any other agreement or terms.

The VPPA provides consumers whose privacy has been breached with the right to recover statutory damages of $2,500 per violation, plus attorney’s fees and costs. Because Crunchyroll has millions of subscribers, the potential total exposure runs into the billions — though past streaming cases like this one typically settle for far less.

The lawsuit also includes a separate subclass covering minors. One of the lead plaintiffs, Francisco Cabonios, became a Crunchyroll subscriber in April 2024 when he was a minor, and the complaint alleges Crunchyroll disclosed his personal viewing information to Braze without consent. The VPPA’s privacy protections apply regardless of a subscriber’s age, but courts treat data collection involving minors with additional scrutiny.

The 2023 Settlement — and Why It Did Not Fix the Problem

Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll reached a $16 million nationwide video privacy class action settlement in 2023 to resolve claims that the company shared subscribers’ personal information with third-party companies including Facebook, Google, and Adobe without consent.

Anyone in the United States who was a registered Crunchyroll user and viewed videos between September 8, 2020 and September 20, 2023 was included in that class. Eligible members received approximately $30 each. Payments went out by April 2024.

The 2026 plaintiffs argue that settlement should have been a turning point. Instead, they say Crunchyroll swapped one tracking tool for another. Crunchyroll previously settled a similar lawsuit for alleged VPPA violations involving the Facebook Pixel tool and at the time agreed to refrain from such tracking practices — yet the company has continued to violate the statute through its use of the Braze SDK.

Who Could Be in the 2026 Class

No class has been formally certified yet — that happens later in the litigation process. Based on what the complaint describes, you may eventually be included if:

• You have or had a Crunchyroll account (free or paid)
• You watched videos through the Crunchyroll mobile app at any point since approximately 2022
• You are located in the United States
• You did not separately provide written consent for your viewing data to be shared with third-party marketing companies

The complaint identifies email addresses, device IDs, and the names of specific anime titles and episodes watched as the types of personally identifiable information allegedly transmitted to Braze without user consent. If you used the app while logged in, your data was likely part of what Braze received.

There Is No Claim Form Open Right Now — Here Is What to Do Instead

This is early-stage litigation. Courts need to certify the class, both sides conduct discovery, and then settlement negotiations (if any) begin. That process typically takes one to three years for cases like this. A claim form will only exist if and when a settlement is reached and a court approves it.

What you can do right now:

• Save records of your Crunchyroll subscription, account email, and any subscription payment history — you will likely need these if a settlement claim form opens
• Watch for a mailed or emailed notice — if a settlement is reached, class members are notified directly at the email address on their account
• Check back here — this article will be updated the moment a settlement and claim form are announced
• Contact plaintiffs’ counsel if you want to stay informed: the case is being litigated in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Case No. 2:26-cv-02373

Important Dates

Milestone	Date
2022	Alleged Braze SDK data sharing begins
September 8, 2020 – September 20, 2023	Coverage period for the prior (closed) settlement
December 12, 2023	2023 settlement claim deadline — permanently closed
January 2024	Prior settlement receives final court approval
April 2024	Prior settlement payments distributed (~$30/person)
March 5, 2026	New class action filed (Cabonios v. Crunchyroll)
Open Claim Form (2026 case)	TBD — no settlement reached yet
Expected Resolution	TBD

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still sign up for the Crunchyroll class action settlement?

 The 2023 settlement claim deadline closed on December 12, 2023 — that is permanently shut. The 2026 lawsuit has no open claim form yet because no settlement has been reached. When one is announced, claim instructions will be sent to subscribers’ account email addresses and posted on the official settlement administrator’s website.

How much could I get from the 2026 lawsuit?

 The VPPA allows $2,500 per violation in statutory damages. However, the 2023 settlement — involving nearly identical conduct — paid approximately $30 per person after the $16 million fund was divided among all eligible class members. Actual payout in a future settlement will depend on how many people are in the class, the total settlement amount, and whether you file a valid claim.

Do I need a lawyer to participate?

 No. Class action settlements are designed so individual consumers can file claims without hiring an attorney. If a settlement is reached in the 2026 case, a simple online claim form will be available. No legal representation is required to submit a claim.

Is this lawsuit legitimate?

 Yes. Cabonios et al. v. Crunchyroll LLC, Case No. 2:26-cv-02373, is a real federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on March 5, 2026. Court records are publicly available on PACER.

When will I receive payment if there is a settlement?

 There is no settlement yet. Based on the timeline of the 2023 case — which took roughly 14 months from filing to final approval — a resolution in the 2026 case is unlikely before late 2027 at the earliest. That timeline could be shorter if Crunchyroll moves quickly to settle.

Did Crunchyroll admit to anything? 

Not in the current case — it has not yet responded publicly. In the 2023 case, Crunchyroll denied violating any law but agreed to settle to avoid the costs and uncertainty of continued litigation.

What if I only use the Crunchyroll website, not the app? 

The 2026 lawsuit focuses specifically on conduct involving the Crunchyroll mobile app and the Braze SDK embedded in it. The prior 2023 settlement covered both the website and app. Whether website-only users fall within the 2026 class will depend on how the court defines the class during certification — that determination has not been made yet.

Sources & References

• Federal court complaint: Cabonios et al. v. Crunchyroll LLC, Case No. 2:26-cv-02373 (C.D. Cal., filed March 5, 2026) — classaction.org complaint PDF
• CBR News coverage of the new lawsuit (March 2026): cbr.com
• Official 2023 settlement administrator website (claim deadline closed): crvppasettlement.com
• Anime Corner original reporting: animecorner.me

Last Updated: March 29, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.