California Attorney General Rob Bonta today secured a settlement with Sling TV LLC and Dish Media Sales LLC (Sling TV), a streaming service, resolving allegations that the company violated the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by failing to provide an easy-to-use method for consumers to stop the sale of their personal information and by failing to provide sufficient privacy protections for children. The investigation and proposed settlement arise from the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigative sweep announced in January 2024, which focused on the compliance of streaming services and connected TVs with CCPA’s right to opt-out. Under the proposed settlement, Sling TV has agreed to pay $530,000 in CCPA civil penalties and implement changes to ensure the CCPA opt-out is easy for consumers to execute, requires minimal steps, and considers the way the business interacts with consumers. The settlement, subject to court approval, also requires the company to provide parents with clear disclosures and tools to minimize collection and use of their children’s data.
“Californians have critical privacy rights. Our investigative sweep looked at all the different ways consumers should be able to stop the sale of their data when using streaming services,” said Attorney General Bonta “We take privacy rights seriously and Sling TV was not providing consumers an easy way to opt-out of the sale of their personal data as required. My office is committed to the continued enforcement of the CCPA — every Californian has the right to their online privacy, especially in the comfort of their living room.”