HGTV, Plaintiffs Clash Over VPPA Suit Dismissal Move

Getting HGTV's newsletter is the same as subscribing to its video service for purposes of being considered a subscriber under the Video Privacy Protection Act, counsel for plaintiffs suing Discovery Communications for VPPA violations told the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, according to a letter posted Thursday in docket 1:22-cv-02031. Discovery is accused of providing HGTV newsletter subscribers' personal information to Facebook without notifying them. Discovery, in an April 25 letter that said it's planning a motion to dismiss the putative class action, said district precedent aligns with the argument the plaintiffs aren't subscribers because the email newsletter is separate and distinct from HGTV video content.