California Attorney General Rob Bonta has reached a $530,000 settlement with Sling TV, marking the first enforcement action under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) against a streaming service.
The complaint centered on two main violations. First, Sling’s interface design and opt-out process did not offer a comprehensive opt out of “sales” (in this case, sharing personal information for targeted TV ads). That design made it difficult for users to fully opt out—especially as Sling’s “Your Privacy Choices” link led only to cookie settings rather than providing a true “Do Not Sell My Personal Information” option. Sling also imposed unnecessary hurdles for opting-out by requiring already-logged-in users to reauthenticate and fill out webforms with information the company already had, instead of facilitating direct, in-app opt-outs.
Second, the California Attorney General also found that Sling failed to obtain affirmative opt-in consent when it knew or should have known children under 16 were using its services (based on demographic data that Sling has purchased and the nature of the TV shows viewed). As a result of a settlement, Sling is now prohibited from displaying targeted advertising on channels designated for children or minors.
For more details on the enforcement action, read the official press release here.
Attorney General Bonta Secures $530,000 Settlement with Sling TV in First Enforcement Action. This enforcement action follows a national trend of regulators across the country limiting how streaming services may target ads to children and teens streaming TV.
