By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

By now, I am sure almost everyone in the anime community has heard of the Kroll Class Action Settlement. The news was all over my TikTok a while ago, it has been mentioned on YouTube, Twitter (X?), and so on. Moreover, I keep getting e-mails about filing my claim for a cash payment by 12 December 2023.

Here is my dilemma: if we’re eligible for a class action settlement from a company (Crunchyroll, LLC/Sony Group) that we still use services (Crunchyroll streaming) from, is that right?

Legally, being a current customer of a company involved in a class action settlement doesn’t disqualify you from receiving compensation if you meet the criteria. The settlement is designed to rectify past grievances (against you and other consumers), so you are not wrong for taking the settlement.

Still, it may feel uncomfortable to receive compensation from a company while still being their customer because you still benefit from the service. It might feel like a contradiction when it really isn’t one because your acceptance of the settlement is taking a stand against the company’s past wrongdoings. Your claim, and the claim of fellow consumers, represents a demand for accountability and fairness. By accepting the settlement, you’re exercising your rights as a consumer and advocating for justice––at least, that is how it has been explained to me after some Google-searching and cursory research.

Still, there may be some hold-ups. In private conversations, I’ve heard some worry about potential repercussions. Will the services change or will there be retaliation if your account is linked to participation in the settlement? Legally, companies are prohibited from penalizing customers for participating in class action lawsuits or settlements. However, this fear is valid, especially when dealing with a service provider upon which you rely because even if it is illegal to retaliate, it doesn’t mean that companies don’t try and (sometimes) do attempt just that.

Realistically though, there are a lot of users and most of us are small potatoes in this case. Our decision to participate in a settlement isn’t just about the monetary compensation (that will ultimately be very small overall for the individual in the settlement), it is about holding companies accountable for their actions and contributing to a system that values consumer rights.

What I suppose I am trying to say is that it is not wrong—legally or ethically—to take part in a class action lawsuit you qualify for when you have been a wronged party even if it may feel wrong because you are benefiting from the service. However it still feels internally conflicting and, despite writing it all out here, I’m not really sure why.

Taking from a class action settlement you qualify for, from a company whose services you still use, presents some internal questioning for me, though it’s also an opportunity to assert my rights as a consumer and contribute to a fairer marketplace.

Am I afraid of backlash? Not really. Do I think it’s wrong to be apart of the settlement? No.

So, then why do I feel weird about it? I’m really not sure.

This has been a short, random post just outlining my own internal struggle with an idea that is maybe on no one else’s mind, but if someone else is thinking about this, I’d be interested to know.

How do you feel and why? Let us know! Thank you for reading!

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Copyedited by: Krow Smith | @coffeewithkrow and Katherine Cañeba | @kcserinlee