Disney $2.75M CCPA Settlement, What California Streaming Consumers Need to Know
On February 11, 2026, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $2.75 million settlement with The Walt Disney Company — the largest civil penalty ever obtained under the California Consumer Privacy Act — resolving allegations that Disney failed to fully honor California consumers’ requests to opt out of the sale and sharing of their personal data across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. This is a government enforcement action, not a consumer class action. No consumer claim form exists, and the $2.75 million goes to the state as civil penalties, not to individual consumers.
Quick Facts
- Case name: California v. The Walt Disney Company, Proposed Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction
- Court: Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles
- Defendants: The Walt Disney Company; Disney DTC, LLC; ABC Enterprises, Inc.
- Nature of allegations: Violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Unfair Competition Law (UCL) — specifically, failure to fully honor consumers’ opt-out requests for the sale and sharing of personal data across all devices and streaming services
- Settlement announced: February 11, 2026
- Settlement amount: $2,750,000 in civil penalties (paid to the State of California)
- Settlement type: California Attorney General enforcement action — not a consumer class action; no consumer claim form exists
- Who is affected: California residents who used Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ and attempted to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal data
- Consumer benefit: Improved opt-out procedures across all Disney streaming services; no direct cash compensation to individual consumers
- Official source: California Attorney General press release and Proposed Final Judgment available at oag.ca.gov
Current Status and What Happens Next
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the settlement on February 11, 2026. The settlement requires court approval from the Los Angeles Superior Court before it becomes final. The Proposed Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction has been filed with the court, and the agreement becomes effective upon judicial approval.
Within 30 days of the settlement effective date, Disney will pay a civil fine of $2,750,000 to the California Attorney General’s office. Within 60 days of the effective date, Disney will provide a progress update to the California Attorney General. Disney will continue to provide updates every 60 days until all Disney streaming services meet the compliance requirements outlined in the settlement agreement. Disney must also maintain a program to monitor its compliance with the terms of the injunction for three years and provide annual reports to the California AG.
There is no opt-out process, objection period, or claim submission window for individual consumers because this is a government enforcement action, not a class action settlement.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The California Attorney General’s action resolves allegations that Disney violated the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by failing to fully effectuate consumers’ requests to opt out of the sale or sharing of their data across all devices and streaming services associated with consumers’ Disney accounts.
The enforcement action stems from a January 2024 investigative sweep that the California AG’s office conducted targeting streaming services’ CCPA compliance. Investigators found that Disney’s opt-out mechanisms were fragmented and incomplete, creating a situation where consumers who requested to stop data sharing on one device or service continued to have their data sold or shared through others. The complaint alleged violations of both the CCPA and California’s Unfair Competition Law.
The legal violations centered on two categories of conduct: failure to provide a comprehensive opt-out mechanism that applied uniformly across all Disney services and devices linked to a single account, and failure to disclose clearly that Disney conducts cross-context behavioral advertising using personal information obtained from third parties. Disney did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The CCPA Violations Alleged and What They Mean
Disney owns the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (collectively known as the Disney Bundle) streaming services. Consumers could use the same login information for all three services. When a consumer logs into one of these services, Disney collects personal information, including device identifiers, device type, IP addresses, and the types of content the user watched and for how long. Disney and its partners use this information to target ads to consumers.
The attorney general alleged Disney failed to execute consumer requests to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information across all devices and services linked to a single Disney account. The investigation revealed Disney’s current opt-out methods confused consumers, did not take effect account-wide and sometimes only included individual services or devices. If a consumer utilized the opt-out toggle, Disney applied their request only to the specific streaming service and often the specific device used at the time of the request. The toggle opt-out function did not prevent Disney from selling or sharing the user’s data from other devices or services connected to the account.
California’s CCPA grants consumers the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information. “California’s nation-leading privacy law is clear: A consumer’s opt-out right applies wherever and however a business sells data — businesses can’t force people to go device-by-device or service-by-service,” Attorney General Bonta stated. “In California, asking a business to stop selling your data should not be complicated or cumbersome.” These allegations have not been adjudicated by a court. Disney agreed to settle without admitting liability.
Who Is Affected and What Changes for Consumers
The settlement does not include a cash distribution to individual consumers. The $2.75 million in civil penalties flows entirely to the State of California. However, California residents who use Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ will benefit from the injunctive relief — the changes Disney must make to its opt-out procedures.
If a consumer submits an opt-out request in a logged-in state, Disney must honor that choice across all its streaming services linked to the consumer’s Disney account. If a consumer is not logged in or does not have an account, Disney must either prompt the consumer to log in or collect the necessary information to fully effectuate the opt-out. If a consumer declines to log in or provide such information, Disney must apply the opt-out at the browser, application or device level.
The settlement also requires Disney to process Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals — an automated browser-level mechanism that signals an opt-out preference — consistently with CCPA obligations. California residents who stream Disney content and who have already submitted opt-out requests should see those requests honored more broadly across all Disney services and devices once Disney implements the required changes.
No Consumer Claim Form Exists
There is no claim form, no settlement administrator, and no cash distribution to individual consumers in this case. Any website directing consumers to file a claim in this specific Disney CCPA enforcement action should be viewed with caution. The entire $2.75 million in civil penalties is paid by Disney to the California Attorney General, not to a consumer trust fund.
California consumers who believe their CCPA rights have been violated — by Disney or any other company — can submit a complaint directly to the California Attorney General’s office at oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa or to the California Privacy Protection Agency at cppa.ca.gov.
Prior Related Cases and Context
The Disney settlement was preceded by a related $530,000 AG settlement with Sling TV in October 2025 that helped to establish the investigative basis and enforcement actions for CCPA cases against streaming companies. Both cases arose from the California AG’s January 2024 investigative sweep targeting streaming services.
The Disney settlement is the first CCPA enforcement of 2026. 2025 was an active year — gaming app Jam City was penalized $1.4 million for failing to offer opt-out methods, Sling TV was fined $530,000 for failing to protect children’s privacy and provide easy opt-outs, Tractor Supply was fined $1.4 million by the CPPA, and Healthline received a $1.55 million fine for sharing health-related data with third parties.
The trajectory of recent enforcement activities — including those against American Honda Motor Co., Todd Snyder, Tractor Supply, and now Disney — shows that privacy enforcement is maturing. Early actions focused on enforcing basic data subject rights, followed by targeting privacy notices and contractual safeguards. Now both the California AG and the CPPA are scrutinizing the detailed technical implementations of digital advertising and multi-device consent management.
FAQs
What is the Disney CCPA settlement about?
California Attorney General Rob Bonta reached a $2.75 million settlement with Disney on February 11, 2026, resolving allegations that Disney failed to fully honor California consumers’ requests to opt out of data sale and sharing across its Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ streaming services in violation of the CCPA. Disney did not admit wrongdoing.
Is this a consumer class action lawsuit?
No. This is a California Attorney General enforcement action under the CCPA and California Unfair Competition Law. The California AG’s office — not a class of individual consumers — filed and settled this case. It is not a class action and does not function like one.
Can I file a claim and receive money from this settlement?
No. The $2.75 million in civil penalties goes entirely to the State of California. There is no consumer trust fund, no claim form, and no individual cash distribution. No settlement administrator is accepting consumer claims.
Who benefits from this settlement?
California residents who use Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+ benefit indirectly through the injunctive relief — Disney must now implement comprehensive opt-out procedures that apply account-wide across all services and devices linked to a consumer’s Disney account. The settlement also requires Disney to process Global Privacy Control signals.
What do I do if I want to opt out of Disney’s data sharing?
Log in to your Disney account and submit an opt-out request through Disney’s privacy settings. Under the settlement’s injunction, Disney must apply that request across all streaming services — Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — linked to your account. You can also use a Global Privacy Control-enabled browser, which Disney must now recognize as an opt-out signal.
How do I file a CCPA privacy complaint in California?
California consumers can submit CCPA complaints directly to the California Attorney General’s office at oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa or to the California Privacy Protection Agency at cppa.ca.gov. Neither is related specifically to the Disney settlement — they are general complaint channels for any CCPA violation.
Where can I find the official Disney settlement documents?
The California Attorney General’s press release and the Proposed Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction are available at oag.ca.gov. The case is filed in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.
What happens next?
The Los Angeles Superior Court must approve the Proposed Final Judgment before it becomes final. Once approved, Disney must pay the $2.75 million penalty within 30 days, submit compliance progress reports every 60 days, and maintain a three-year compliance monitoring program with annual reports to the California AG’s office.
Last Updated: February 28, 2026
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.
About the Author
Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
Her writing blends real legal insight with plain-English explanations, helping readers stay informed and legally aware.
Read more about Sarah