Paramount Global is facing a major legal battle that could cost them millions – and it’s all about your streaming history.

In a class action lawsuit filed in California federal court, Paramount is accused of sharing subscribers' personal viewing data with two of the biggest names in tech: Meta (yes, the people behind Facebook) and TikTok. The suit claims Paramount handed over details like which shows and movies you’ve been watching, all in the name of serving up more precise, targeted ads. And now, the plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million in damages for people across the U.S. who feel their privacy was violated.

The lawsuit, brought by California resident Victor Cho, alleges that Paramount’s actions violate the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) – a federal law that prohibits companies from revealing consumers’ video-watching habits without their consent. Interestingly, the VPPA came into existence back in 1988 after a scandal involving the leaked video rental history of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. Since then, the law has been a thorn in the side of media giants, with Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery having faced similar accusations over the last decade. The stakes are high too – the VPPA allows for up to $2,500 in damages per affected user.

So how does this alleged data-sharing work? The lawsuit claims that when Paramount subscribers log into their accounts and watch content, their viewing activity is automatically shared with Meta and TikTok, provided they’re using the same browser logged into these social media platforms. In other words, if you're binge-watching your favorite show while logged into Facebook or scrolling TikTok on the same browser, Paramount may have allegedly been passing on your viewing habits to these tech giants. Meta and TikTok, in turn, offer free tools to websites and app developers that track user activity in exchange for access to valuable consumer data.

According to the lawsuit, Paramount "knowingly and intentionally" shared this information without ever asking for users' consent. Not surprisingly, Paramount hasn’t been quick to comment on the accusations.

But this legal debate is far from simple. The scope of the VPPA has been hotly contested in courts. Last year, a federal judge dismissed a similar lawsuit against Scripps Network. In that case, subscribers to HGTV’s newsletter tried to argue they were entitled to protection under the VPPA, but the court ruled that subscribing to a newsletter didn’t make them “real” subscribers under the law. Scripps successfully argued that, unless users were paying for a streaming service, the VPPA didn’t apply.

This ruling has emboldened companies facing similar accusations. AMC, for example, was sued under the VPPA but argued that simply using their services doesn’t automatically qualify someone as a "subscriber" protected by the law. A judge agreed, noting that consumers must do more than just engage with a service casually to fall under the VPPA’s protections.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) also dodged a bullet when Max subscribers suing the company for allegedly sharing their viewing data with Meta voluntarily withdrew their lawsuit – though it remains unclear if they’ll try to bring it back in a different form.

As for Paramount, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, it could not only cost the company millions in damages but also have major implications for how streaming platforms handle user data moving forward.

In a world where every click, watch, and like seems to be tracked and monetized, this lawsuit could become a watershed moment for data privacy in the streaming age. For now, though, Paramount is keeping quiet, and viewers are left wondering just how closely their streaming habits are being watched.

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