Slater Vecchio LLP has filed a class action against the mobile gaming industry over allegations of serious violations of children’s privacy rights.
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating system, designed to inform consumers about video game content, is self-regulated by the industry and does not guarantee the protection of children’s personal information.
Mobile games aimed at children are offered without any real control over the collection and sharing of their personal data. Even worse, some companies appear to use deceptive practices (false age restrictions, unclear policies) while seemingly shifting the responsibility onto parents who may not be fully informed. This situation could constitute a systemic violation of the rights of minors and their families, justifying legal action to stop these abuses and seek compensation.
Some of the video games concerned by this class action are:
A class action is a legal case through which one person makes a claim to the Court on behalf of a similarly situated class of people who have the same or a similar legal claim. A class action seeks to hold a defendant or defendants responsible for their conduct that affects each member of the class by resolving issues that are common to the class in the same legal proceeding, instead of each class member bringing a claim individually.
The individual who first files the claim must ask the Court for permission to proceed as a class action. If permission is granted (referred as “authorized” in Quebec, and “certified” in all other Canadian provinces) and the case may proceed as a class action, the Court will appoint an individual as “Representative Plaintiff” to represent the best interests of the class during the litigation and will define the class group. Each person who meets the criteria of the class group is considered a “Class Member”.
If your child has played any of the mobile games mentioned above, please fill out the contact form on this webpage.
