Disney Sued For Allegedly Spying On Children With Its 42 Gaming Apps

A federal class action lawsuit was filed in California, alleging the Walt Disney Company in violating privacy protection laws by collecting children’s personal information through its mobile apps.

The company created mobile apps aimed at children that contained embedded software to track, collect, and then export their personal information along with information about their online behavior. Having the information, the company then shared the data with advertisers without the children parents' knowledge

Disney was said to violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which was enacted by Congress in 1999 and designed to protect the privacy of children online.

COPPA requires that companies designing apps for children under the age of 13 to get consent from parents before collecting any personal information.

In total, the lawsuit names 42 Disney apps that spied on children.

The plaintiff is seeking an injunction barring the defendants from tracking and sharing data collected without parental consent, as well as “appropriate relief, including actual and statutory damages and punitive damages," plus all costs related to prosecuting the action.

Disney responded by saying:

"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."

The list of Disney apps named in the lawsuit includes:

AvengersNet, Beauty and the Beast, Perfect Match, Cars Lightening League, em>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 Magic Timer, 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 Mickey?, Where’s My Water? (paid, lite, and free), Where's My Water? 2 and Zootopia Crime Files: Hidden Object.