Eighth Circuit Doubts Video-Privacy Law Applies to Cinemas (1)

A consumer’s argument that the federal Video Privacy Protection Act applies to movie theaters as well as the video-cassette rental locations that were the statute’s focus when it was passed in 1988 was met with skepticism by a federal appeals court panel Thursday.

Gina Christopherson alleged that Cinema Entertainment Corp., a movie-theater operator, violated the VPPA by sharing information with Meta Platforms Inc. about consumers’ ticket purchases and trailers they watched online.

Christopherson’s attorney Ben Hutman told the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that the context and legislative history showed the statutory term “video tape service provider” ...