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18 U.S.C. § 2710 (in Chapter 121)
Video Privacy Protection Act – 18 U.S.C. § 2710
Prepared by Shubhank Suman · Last reviewed
CURRENT / IN FORCE
- Legal character
- Statute
- Region
- North America
What it covers
Section 2710 bars a video tape service provider from knowingly disclosing personally identifiable information about a consumer, meaning information identifying a person as having requested or obtained specific video materials or services. Disclosure is allowed with informed, written consent (which may be electronic), under a warrant or court order, to the consumer, for ordinary course of business, and in limited marketing cases. It requires destruction of old records and gives a civil action with liquidated damages of $2,500.
Why it matters
It is frequently used in US class actions over sharing streaming or video-viewing data, including through website tracking pixels.
Refer to it when
Use it when a business shares what video content users watched, for consent wording, or for VPPA litigation risk.
AI, privacy and cybersecurity relevance
- AI: Low
- Privacy: Very High
- Cyber: Low
AI
LOW RELEVANCE
No AI-specific provisions.
Privacy
VERY HIGH RELEVANCE
Sector-specific consumer privacy law.
Cybersecurity
LOW RELEVANCE
No security provisions.
Applicability
Businesses delivering prerecorded video material, including online streaming services.
Current validity
CURRENT. The text is in the supplied 18 U.S.C. Chapter 121 PDF (section 2710). Read the official PDF on this page for the operative text.
Read first
Section 2710(a) → (b) → (c).
Provisions / sections covered
Section 2710(a) – Definitions
Consumer, ordinary course of business, personally identifiable information, video tape service provider.
Section 2710(b) – Prohibited disclosure
Prohibition and permitted disclosures, including consent.
Section 2710(c) – Civil action
Damages, fees and limitation period.
Section 2710(e) – Destruction of old records
Duty to destroy information when no longer needed.
Subject-matter tags
- Consent
Subject-matter tags describe what the indexed text discusses. They are not legal conclusions.
Related instruments in this library
- HIPAA: United StatesLaw · Current (amended)Same jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0)Framework · Voluntary / non-bindingSame jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- Stored Communications Act – 18 U.S.C. Chapter 121Law · CurrentSame jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015Law · CurrentSame jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA)Law · CurrentSame jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
- Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978Law · Current (amended)Same jurisdiction; assess applicability separately.
Document page in the Knowledge Base - full text or PDF where it is available for this record.
This library locates primary and official sources. It does not interpret the law and it is not legal advice.