Santa Clara University’s High Tech Law Institute and Markkula Center for Applied Ethics were awarded $346,000 in cy presfunds from the settlement reached in In re: Netflix Privacy Litigation, a federal class action lawsuit against the Los Gatos, Calif.-based entertainment company.
The lawsuit alleged that the company had retained and disclosed users’ viewing histories and other personally identifiable information without consent.
The funds are to be spent on privacy protection and education efforts, according to the terms of the court-approved settlement. Both the High Tech Law Institute and the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics have established track records in those areas.
“As shown by our new Privacy Law Certificate, we’re constantly innovating new ways to educate about privacy,” said Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute. “We are looking forward to finding creative and effective ways to deliver value for members of the Netflix settlement class.”
As technology advances more rapidly than laws can, ethics provides another lens through which to evaluate new tools and services and to educate consumers, said Irina Raicu, director of the Internet Ethics program at the Markkula Center. “The funds from this settlement will help us continue to educate consumers and to promote privacy protection online through resources focused on software engineering ethics.”
Eighteen other organizations also received cy pres funds from the $9 million settlement.
