You May Qualify for a Payout After Disney Faces Lawsuit Over Private Consumer Info
The Walt Disney Company is facing a new class-action lawsuit alleging that its ESPN subsidiary violated California privacy laws by secretly tracking website visitors without their permission. The legal filing claims that ESPN.com collected sensitive consumer data and sold it to third-party advertisers, potentially entitling millions of California residents to compensation if the lawsuit is successful.
California Resident Files Privacy Violation Claim
Saleha Abdullah filed a lawsuit on December 26, 2025, in California federal court, accusing ESPN.com of deploying user tracking technology that violates California’s Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). The complaint alleges the Disney-owned sports website collects extensive data from visitors without obtaining consent, including browser information, device specifications, screen resolution, operating system details, and geographic location.
The lawsuit claims ESPN monetizes this data by selling it to third-party companies that create personalized and targeted advertisements, generating revenue for the Disney subsidiary while exploiting consumer information gathered without permission.
Abdullah’s legal team argues users never consented to “the installation, execution, embedding or injection of the trackers on their devices” and “did not expect their behavioral data to be disclosed or monetized in this way.” The lawsuit contends Disney and ESPN violated CIPA, which prohibits companies from collecting “routing, addressing or signaling information” without authorization.
Legal Team Seeks Class Certification
Reuben D. Nathan of Nathan & Associates APC and Ross Cornell of the Law Offices of Ross Cornell APC represent Abdullah in the class-action lawsuit against Disney and ESPN. The plaintiff’s attorneys are seeking class action certification, a jury trial, damages, and reimbursement for fees and costs associated with the legal proceedings.
Neither The Walt Disney Company nor ESPN has issued public statements responding to the class-action lawsuit filing.
Millions of Californians May Be Eligible
If the California federal court certifies the class action, millions of Golden State residents who accessed ESPN.com could potentially join the lawsuit and qualify for compensation. The scope depends on how many California residents visited the Disney-owned sports website during the relevant time period and whether they can demonstrate that the tracking technology collected their data without consent.
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