Is Disney+ ethical?

What Choice found

Choice can get this wrong — tell us if something's off.

1–20 of 27

LGBTQ+ policies Confirmed You decide

Walt Disney Co. extends health coverage to LGBTQ+ partners

Walt Disney Co. extends health coverage to partners of gay and lesbian employees beginning January.

1 sourceRead sources
latimes.com
Joining other major Hollywood studios, Walt Disney Co. will extend health coverage to the partners of gay and lesbian employees beginning Jan.

Community investment Confirmed In favor

Walt Disney donates 550k pounds of food to food bank

Walt Disney World Resort donated more than 550,000 pounds of excess prepared food to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

1 sourceRead sources
abcnews.com
"In 2021, Walt Disney World Resort donated more than 550,000 pounds of excess prepared food to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida."

Privacy & surveillance Settlement Against

Walt Disney Co. settles for $2.75 million over CCPA privacy violations

Walt Disney Co. pays $2.75 million to settle allegations it violated the California Consumer Privacy Act by failing to comply with consumer requests to opt out of data sharing.

4 sourcesRead sources
finance.yahoo.com
Walt Disney Co. will pay $2.75 million to settle allegations that it violated the California Consumer Privacy Act by not fully complying with consumers' requests to opt out of data sharing on its streaming services, the state attorney general's office said Wednesday.
oag.ca.gov
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a settlement with the Walt Disney Company (Disney), resolving allegations that the company violated the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by failing to fully effectuate consumers’ requests to opt-out of the sale or sharing of their data across all devices and streaming services associated with consumers' Disney accounts.
latimes.com
Walt Disney Co. will pay $2.75 million to settle allegations that it violated the California Consumer Privacy Act by not fully complying with consumers’ requests to opt out of data sharing on its streaming services, the state attorney general’s office said Wednesday.
law.com
The Walt Disney Co. has agreed to pay a record $2.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated the California Consumer Privacy Act, a groundbreaking measure passed by the state's Legislature in 2018 that gives consumers more control over the information businesses collect on them.

Workplace equity Settlement Against

Disney settles pay inequity claims with $43 million payout

Disney settled a pay inequity class action from female employees with a $43 million payout.

1 sourceRead sources
deadline.com
Less than a year since Disney finally settled a pay inequity class action from female employees with a $43 million payout, the company now is facing similar claims in a new suit from one of its former top lawyers.
Disney Sued By Former Top Lawyer For Discrimination & Retaliation

Privacy & surveillance Settlement Against

Disney settles privacy violations with $2.75 million

Disney settled privacy violations by paying $2.75 million and implementing opt-out methods to stop the sale or sharing of consumers' personal information.

1 sourceRead sources
oag.ca.gov
California Won't Let It Go: Attorney General Bonta Announces $2.75 Million Settlement with Disney, Largest CCPA Settlement in California History | State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General
Today, my office secured the largest settlement to date under the CCPA over Disney's failure to stop selling and sharing the data of consumers that explicitly asked it to,” said Attorney General Bonta.
Under today’s settlement, Disney must pay $2.75 million in civil penalties and must implement opt-out methods that fully stop Disney’s sale or sharing of consumers’ personal information.

Community investment Confirmed In favor

The Walt Disney Company donates 450000 meals to foodbanks

The Walt Disney Company donated approximately 450,000 meals to three foodbanks to provide kids with access to nutritious food over the summer.

1 sourceRead sources
abc7ny.com
On Monday, FX, Hulu, ABC Owned Television Stations, and The Walt Disney Company announced the donation of approximately 450,000 meals across the three foodbanks to provide kids with access to nutritious food over the summer.

Reproductive care Confirmed You decide

Disney reaches out on reproductive care access

Disney contacted employees to emphasize commitment to comprehensive reproductive care, including family planning and reproductive services, regardless of location.

1 sourceRead sources
variety.com
In the wake of the ruling, Disney reached out to employees on Friday to stress that they recognize the “impact” of the Supreme Court’s decision and “remain committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care” for all Disney employees and their families, which includes family planning and reproductive care, “no matter where they live,” an internal source told Variety.
For Disney employees unable to access a medical service, including abortions, in one location, they have a travel benefit that allows for “affordable coverage for receiving similar levels of care in another location.” Walt Disney World, one of the company’s major theme parks is located in Orlando.

Workplace equity Confirmed You decide

Disney+ rolls back DEI warning on classic films

Disney+ shortened its warning about racist stereotypes in films like Aladdin and The Jungle Book, removing a 2020 message that highlighted inclusivity.

1 sourceRead sources
npr.org
Among the changes, Disney+ shortened its warning about racist stereotypes on certain classic movies, like Aladdin and The Jungle Book, removing a longer message written in 2020 that also expressed the company's commitment to an inclusive community.

Corporate conduct Allegation Against

Walt Disney Co. is accused of use of facial recognition technology

Walt Disney Co. is accused of using facial recognition technology, alleging violations of privacy, competition, and consumer protection laws.

1 sourceRead sources
yahoo.com
A class action lawsuit was filed against The Walt Disney Co. over its use of facial recognition technology, alleging violations of privacy, competition, and consumer protection laws.

Corporate conduct Allegation Against

Disney is accused of raising streaming prices

Disney is accused of engaging in various forms of conduct to raise the prices of Streaming Live Pay Television.

1 sourceRead sources
thehill.com
They accused Disney of “engaging in various forms of conduct to raise the prices of Streaming Live Pay Television.”

Corporate conduct Allegation Against

Disney+ is accused of concealing true costs

Disney+ is accused of concealing true costs incurred in connection with its service by debuting content intended for Disney+.

3 sourcesRead sources
deadline.com
(b) that the true costs incurred in connection with Disney+ had been concealed by Disney executives by debuting certain content intended for Disney+ initially on Disney’s legacy distribution channels and then making the shows available on Disney+ thereafter in order to improperly shift costs out of the Disney+ segment;
(b) that the true costs incurred in connection with Disney+ had been concealed by Disney executives by debuting certain content intended for Disney+
Furthermore, the 2022 Proxy was false and misleading because it failed to disclose the following adverse facts pertaining to the Company’s business, operations, and financial condition, which were known to or recklessly disregarded by Defendants as follows: (a) that Disney+ was suffering decelerating subscriber growth, losses, and cost overruns; (b) that the true costs incurred in connection with Disney+ had been concealed by Disney executives by debuting certain content intended for Disney+ initially on Disney’s legacy distribution channe ls and then making the shows available on Disney+ thereafter in order to improperly shift costs out of the Disney+ segment; (c) that DMED had made platform distribution decisions based not on consumer preference, consumer behavior, or the desire to maximize the size of the audience for the content as represented, but based on the desire to hide the full costs of building Disney+’s content library; (d) that the Company was not on track to achieve its 2024 Disney+ paid global subscriber and profitability targets, t hat such targets were not achievable, and that such estimates lacked a reasonable basis in fact; and (e) that, as a result of (a)-(d) above, defendants had materially misrepresented the actual performance of Disney+, the sustainability of Disney+’s historical growth trends, the profitability of Disney+, and the likelihood that Disney could achieve its 2024 Disney+ subscriber and profitability targets.
nypost.com
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Mouse House faces an identical investor suit over an alleged “cost-shifting scheme” in its streaming division and claims that it obstructed a deal between TSG Entertainment Finance and 20th Century Studios, which Disney owns, to “prop up” Disney+ and juice its stock price.
Disney sued over 'fraudulent scheme' to hide streaming losses
yahoo.com
Disney Slapped With Investor Lawsuit for Allegedly ‘Concealing the True Costs’ of Disney+ Under Bob Chapek

Climate & energy Confirmed Against

Walt Disney violates water pollution rules

Walt Disney World violated EPA water pollution levels and could face up to $25,000 in daily fines.

1 sourceRead sources
orlandosentinel.com
Walt Disney World for years has violated water pollution levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency and could face fines of as much as $25,000 a day because the problem has worsened since June.

Community investment Confirmed In favor

Disney Company purchases property for wetlands preserve

The Walt Disney Company purchased the property and transferred it to TNC to create a nature preserve dedicated to wetlands restoration on an unprecedented scale.

1 sourceRead sources
nature.org
Partnering with TNC, the State of Florida, and a number of other groups, The Walt Disney Company purchased the property and transferred it to TNC to create a nature preserve dedicated to wetlands restoration on an unprecedented scale.

Israel & Palestine Confirmed You decide

The Walt Disney Company donated $2 million for humanitarian relief in Israel

The documented action involving the Walt Disney Company concerns children.

4 sourcesRead sources
deadline.com
“In the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks targeting Jews in Israel this past weekend, we must all do what we can to support the innocent people experiencing so much pain, violence, and uncertainty – particularly children,” declared Bob Iger tonight as the Walt Disney Company announced it is donating $2 million for humanitarian relief in Israel.
forward.com
The Walt Disney Co. pledged $2 million to humanitarian efforts in Israel, with $1 million to children’s nonprofits and the other $1 million to Magen David Adom, which is the Israeli Red Cross.
variety.com
The Walt Disney Company is donating $2 million to organizations providing humanitarian relief to those affected by the Israel-Hamas war.
timesofisrael.com
The Walt Disney Company announced it is donating $2 million to organizations that are providing humanitarian relief in the region following the overwhelming terrorist attacks.

Labor & working conditions Confirmed In favor

Walt Disney bumps hourly worker pay to $17

Walt Disney World workers receive an immediate bump to a minimum $17 an hour, rising to $18 by end of 2023.

2 sourcesRead sources
floridapolitics.com
Walt Disney World Resort and its biggest union coalition reached a tentative deal to raise the minimum pay from $15 to $18 an hour for full-time employees this year, union leaders announced.
forbes.com
After the final vote next week, Walt Disney World workers will instead receive an immediate bump to a minimum $17 an hour, which will rise to $18 an hour by the end of 2023.

Community investment Confirmed In favor

The Walt Disney Company donates meals to hunger relief

The Walt Disney Company donates millions of meals to children and families in need through Feeding America.

1 sourceRead sources
finance.yahoo.com
Over the past 10 years, The Walt Disney Company has been committed to the effort to end hunger, teaming up with Feeding America to donate millions of meals to children and families who need it most, including today's gift, which is part of an annual donation that will deliver nearly five million meals.

LGBTQ+ policies Confirmed You decide

Disney's involvement criticized for political divisiveness

Disney's involvement in divisive political issues is cited as alienating segments of the audience and damaging the company's stock price.

1 sourceRead sources
fastcompany.com
The shareholder proposal argues that Disney’s involvement in such divisive political issues has alienated segments of the audience, and damaged the company’s stock price.

Corporate conduct Allegation Against

Disney accused of anticompetitive agreements

Disney is accused of entering anticompetitive agreements with direct competitors in the streaming live pay television market.

1 sourceRead sources
cleveland.com
“This is an antitrust lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company (‘Disney’) to remediate and recover for Disney’s anticompetitive agreements with direct competitors in the market for streaming live pay television (’SLPTV’) — live television streamed over the Internet to pay subscribers,” court documents reads.

Workplace equity Confirmed Against

Disney ends discriminatory initiatives

Disney ends any and all discriminatory initiatives in substance, not just name.

1 sourceRead sources
usatoday.com
"I want to ensure that Disney ends any and all discriminatory initiatives in substance, not just name," Carr wrote in the letter, which was seen by Reuters.

Corporate conduct Settlement Against

The Walt Disney Company settles for $50 million

The Walt Disney Company settled a class action lawsuit alleging violations of federal antitrust and consumer protection laws.

4 sourcesRead sources
finance.yahoo.com
The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class action suit (1) from 2022. That could mean some money is coming your way. The case revolves around allegations that Disney entered into "anticompetitive agreements with YouTube TV" and other live-streaming services that resulted in subscription price increases from over-the-top live TV services.
nj1015.com
The Walt Disney Company, a federal antitrust lawsuit filed back in 2022 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
qz.com
The Walt Disney $DIS Company agreed to pay $50 million to settle a federal antitrust class action lawsuit alleging it drove up subscription prices for YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream, though the company denied any wrongdoing.
time.com
The Walt Disney Company has agreed to a $50 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that alleged the media giant violated federal antitrust and consumer protection laws.