Hearst Television Defeats App-User Suit Over Google Info Sharing

Hearst Television Inc. defeated a proposed class action alleging it shared its app users’ video-watching histories with Google Inc. and software vendor Braze Inc. without consent in violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act.

Lead plaintiff Charles Therrien failed to show that Hearst disclosed personally identifiable information as defined in the VPPA, Judge Richard G. Stearns of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts said Friday.

Stearns granted Hearst’s motion for summary judgment, more than a year after he denied its motion to dismiss. The judge found at the pleading stage last year that the information at issue ...