Lawsuit Alleges Disney Spys on Kids

By Paul Ausick Updated Jan 12, 9:21AM EST · Published Aug 8, 9:00AM EDT

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A class action lawsuit filed last week in the federal district court for Northern California alleges that Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) and its partners violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and seeks an injunction prohibiting the companies from either collecting or disclosing the data with the parental consent. The lawsuit also seeks punitive damages and legal fees.

Disney and its partners — Upsight, Unity and Kochava — are alleged to have created mobile apps that illegally collect data about the apps’ users, including users under the age of 13. That collected data may then be used for advertising or other commercial purposes.

In a statement reported in The Washington Post on Monday, Disney said:

Disney has a robust COPPA compliance program, and we maintain strict data collection and use policies for Disney apps created for children and families. The complaint is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of COPPA principles, and we look forward to defending this action in Court.

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A total of 42 apps were named in the lawsuit. Many are wildly popular according the Post’s story:

Many of Disney’s gaming apps are immensely popular. According to the Google Play store, “Where’s my Water? 2” has been installed between 100 million and 500 million times; “Moana Island Life” has been installed between 1 million and 5 million times; and, in another measure of the company’s online success, “Disney Princess Palace Pets” has been reviewed more than 6,000 times by iOS users.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a San Francisco resident and her child and seeks to represent consumers in 35 states. The case name is Rushing et al v The Walt Disney Company et al and the case number is 3:17-cv-04419.

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Here’s the full list of apps named in the lawsuit.

AvengersNet
Beauty and the Beast
Perfect Match
Cars Lightening League
Club Penguin Island
Color by Disney
Disney Color and Play
Disney Crossy Road
Disney Dream Treats
Disney Emoji Blitz
Disney Gif
Disney Jigsaw Puzzle!
Disney LOL
Disney Princess: Story Theater
Disney Store Become
Disney Story Central
Disney’s Magic Timer by Oral-B
Disney Princess: Charmed Adventures
Dodo Pop
Disney Build It Frozen
DuckTales: Remastered
Frozen Free Fall
Frozen Free Fall: Icy Shot
Good Dinosaur Storybook Deluxe
Inside Out Thought Bubbles
Maleficent Free Fall
Miles from Tomorrowland: Missions
Moana Island Life
Olaf’s Adventures
Palace Pets in Whisker Haven
Sofia the First Color and Play
Sofia the First Secret Library
Star Wars: Puzzle DroidsTM
Star WarsTM: Commander
Temple Run: Oz
Temple Run: Brave
The Lion Guard
Toy Story: Story Theater
Where’s My Water?
Where’s My Mickey?
Where’s My Water? 2
Where’s My Water? Lite/Where’s My Water? Free
Zootopia Crime Files: Hidden Object

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About the Author Paul Ausick →

Paul Ausick has been writing for a673b.bigscoots-temp.com for more than a decade. He has written extensively on investing in the energy, defense, and technology sectors. In a previous life, he wrote technical documentation and managed a marketing communications group in Silicon Valley.

He has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Chicago and now lives in Montana, where he fishes for trout in the summer and stays inside during the winter.