Yes, Willow TV’s Meta Pixel tracking infrastructure shared subscriber data without consent. The $850,000 settlement agreement reached by Times Internet (UK) LTD—which operates Willow.tv, a popular cricket streaming service—confirms that tracking software embedded on the platform collected and transmitted personally identifiable information to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, in violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). This means if you watched prerecorded cricket content on Willow.tv between July 20, 2021 and September 22, 2023, your viewing history and personal data were likely transmitted to Meta’s advertising network without your explicit consent, potentially allowing Meta to target you with ads or create profiles based on your viewing behavior. The settlement came after preliminary court approval on April 22, 2026, and covers approximately 75,830 U.S. subscribers who watched prerecorded videos during the qualifying period. The case represents a growing category of VPPA litigation targeting video streaming services that use tracking pixels—those invisible snippets of code websites embed to monitor user activity—without proper disclosures or user consent.
WHAT IS THE META PIXEL AND HOW DID IT VIOLATE THE VIDEO PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT? The Meta Pixel is tracking software that collects data about user behavior on websites and sends that information to Meta’s servers. When placed on a streaming site, it doesn’t just record that you visited; it can track what videos you watched, how long you watched, and whether you completed viewing—essentially your entertainment habits and preferences. This information flows to Meta’s advertising platform, where it can be used to build detailed profiles of you for targeted advertising or sold to third parties. The Video Privacy Protection Act, passed in 1988 in response to privacy concerns after a Supreme Court nominee’s video rental history was leaked, specifically prohibits companies from disclosing personally identifiable information about what videos you watch without your express, informed consent. The VPPA defines this consent narrowly: simply using a website or clicking “I agree” to generic terms of service doesn’t count. You must specifically acknowledge that your video-watching data will be shared with a named third party for a named purpose. Willow.tv’s failure to obtain this specific consent before the Meta Pixel transmitted viewer data violated the law, and that violation forms the basis of the class action suit.
Table of Contents
- HOW WILLOW TV’S TRACKING PIXEL OPERATED AND WHAT DATA WAS EXPOSED
- THE SETTLEMENT TERMS AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE
- TIMES INTERNET’S DENIAL OF WRONGDOING BUT DECISION TO SETTLE
- VIDEO PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT VIOLATIONS IN THE STREAMING INDUSTRY
- COMMON ISSUES IN VPPA SETTLEMENTS AND CLAIM FILING PROBLEMS
- WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE FINAL APPROVAL HEARING
- DOCUMENTATION YOU’LL NEED FOR YOUR CLAIM
HOW WILLOW TV’S TRACKING PIXEL OPERATED AND WHAT DATA WAS EXPOSED
Willow.tv embedded the Meta Pixel on its platform without clearly disclosing to users that their video-viewing information would be transmitted to Meta. The pixel operated invisibly in the background whenever a subscriber accessed prerecorded content—cricket matches, tournaments, and other video archives. Every time you watched or didn’t finish a video, that information traveled from Willow’s servers to Meta’s infrastructure. The data exposed included your identity (name, email, or account identifier), the videos you watched, viewing duration, completion status, and timestamp information.
When combined with your other Meta-tracked activity across websites, this information allows Meta to create a detailed profile of your entertainment interests and behavior patterns. For example, if you watched cricket matches between 9 PM and midnight on weekdays, Meta could infer you’re a night-time viewer and target you with late-night product ads. The concerning part: you never agreed in writing to this specific disclosure, which is why the vppa violation occurred. Willow.tv removed the Meta Pixel from its website in September 2023 and has stated it has no plans to reinstall it or use similar tracking pixels going forward. However, this remediation came only after the privacy violations had already affected tens of thousands of subscribers.
THE SETTLEMENT TERMS AND WHO IS ELIGIBLE
The settlement requires Times Internet (UK) LTD to pay $850,000 to resolve all claims related to the VPPA violations and California Unfair Competition Law violations. The settlement is preliminary, meaning it’s approved for distribution to the class but still subject to final approval after the claims period closes. Approximately 75,830 U.S. subscribers qualify for payment, though only those who submit valid claim forms by the July 21, 2026 deadline will receive compensation. The settlement website, willowtvvppasettlement.com, is where you’ll file a claim. You can submit online or by mail, but both methods have the same deadline: July 21, 2026.
This deadline is firm—claims received after that date are generally not processed. The settlement administrators will verify your eligibility based on Willow.tv’s subscriber records during the qualifying period (July 20, 2021 through September 22, 2023), so you’ll need to provide information like your account email or account ID to prove you subscribed during that time window. A significant limitation of this settlement: individual payouts depend on how many eligible subscribers file claims. If half the class files, each person’s share is larger; if nearly everyone files, shares are smaller. The settlement cap is $850,000 total, divided only among those who submit valid claims. Attorneys’ fees and settlement administration costs will be deducted from this pool before individual payments are calculated.
TIMES INTERNET’S DENIAL OF WRONGDOING BUT DECISION TO SETTLE
Times Internet (UK) Ltd., the defendant, denies any wrongdoing and does not admit liability as part of the settlement agreement. This is standard in many class action settlements—defendants agree to pay to avoid the costs and risks of litigation without conceding they actually violated the law. In this case, the company decided that paying $850,000 was less expensive and risky than fighting the class action in court, where a jury could award larger damages or send a message with a high verdict. This settlement posture matters because it means there was no court determination that Willow.tv intentionally or knowingly violated privacy law.
Rather, the company and plaintiffs’ attorneys agreed that a payment and corrective action (removing the tracking pixel) was a reasonable resolution. The company’s decision reflects a business calculation: litigation costs, potential jury awards, negative publicity, and ongoing legal risk outweighed the settlement cost. The corrective action—removing the Meta Pixel and committing not to use similar trackers—is Willow.tv’s primary obligation beyond the payment. No redesign of the site, no removal of video archives, no operational changes beyond the pixel removal are required.
VIDEO PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT VIOLATIONS IN THE STREAMING INDUSTRY
The Willow.tv case fits a broader trend of VPPA litigation targeting video streaming services. Platforms from YouTube-like services to specialized streaming sites have faced similar suits when they embed tracking pixels for advertising purposes. The legal principle is consistent: if you’re transmitting information about what someone watched, you need their specific, informed consent beforehand. A comparison: a cable company must tell you if it’s tracking what you watch, and you have the right to opt out under rules established by the FTC.
Similarly, when a streaming service embeds Meta Pixel, it should either not collect that data, or it should obtain explicit consent first. Unlike standard website usage tracking (which applies to all websites), video-specific information receives heightened legal protection under the VPPA because of privacy concerns unique to entertainment content. The limitation here is that the VPPA only covers video content and applies primarily when personally identifiable information is disclosed to third parties. If Willow.tv had used a generic analytics tool that didn’t transmit identifiable information to Meta—just anonymized viewing statistics—the VPPA might not apply. But Meta’s advertising platform requires personal identifiers to function, so VPPA protection kicked in.
COMMON ISSUES IN VPPA SETTLEMENTS AND CLAIM FILING PROBLEMS
One frequent problem with VPPA settlements: subscribers don’t realize they qualify or miss the deadline. The July 21, 2026 deadline for Willow.tv claims is absolute. Claims postmarked after that date, submitted after that date online, or received after that date by mail are not processed. Unlike some consumer settlements that have extended or reopened deadlines, VPPA settlements typically enforce deadlines strictly because courts see them as written notice to the class. Another issue: determining eligibility requires you to prove you subscribed during the specific window (July 20, 2021 to September 22, 2023).
If you had multiple accounts, used a shared account, or subscribed under someone else’s name, you need to provide documentation of that subscription during the claims period. People frequently lose account access or forget which email address they used, making it difficult to prove eligibility. Keep in mind the settlement website will require specific account identifiers; vague statements like “I think I watched cricket on Willow in 2022” won’t suffice. A warning about settlement checks: If you receive a payment, understand that this is not an admission of wrongdoing by Willow.tv, and it does not establish liability that could be used in any other legal action. The settlement is binding on the class members, meaning you cannot later sue Willow.tv for the same VPPA violations once you accept the payment.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE FINAL APPROVAL HEARING
After claims close on July 21, 2026, the settlement administrators calculate the total number of valid claims and determine each claimant’s individual share. A final approval hearing will occur where the court reviews the settlement for fairness to the class. At that hearing, the judge will consider whether the settlement amount, attorneys’ fees, and administration costs are reasonable.
Class members can object to the settlement before this hearing if they believe it’s unfair, though most VPPA settlements are approved once they reach this stage. Individual checks are typically mailed within 60 to 90 days after final approval, though this timeline can extend depending on the settlement administrator’s processing capacity and any unexpected issues with the claims. Unclaimed checks are often returned to a claims fund, and after a certain period (usually three to five years), unclaimed funds revert to Willow.tv or go to a related cy pres recipient (a charitable organization aligned with privacy or consumer protection) rather than back to individual claimants.
DOCUMENTATION YOU’LL NEED FOR YOUR CLAIM
To file a claim on willowtvvppasettlement.com, have ready your Willow.tv account email address, account ID number (if you have it), the approximate dates you subscribed, and any payment information (credit card last four digits or PayPal email) you used to pay for the service. If you no longer have access to your account, you may need to contact Willow.tv customer support to recover your account information, though the settlement administrators can sometimes cross-reference your email address with Willow’s subscriber database.
If you prefer to file by mail rather than online, the settlement website provides a physical address and mail-in form. Mail-in claims must be postmarked by July 21, 2026, meaning you should mail it at least a few days before the deadline to account for postal delivery times. Certified or registered mail is not required, but it gives you proof of mailing, which is useful if there’s any dispute about whether your claim arrived on time.
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