# Disney Just Paid $2.75M for Privacy Failures — Are You Making the Same Mistakes?

Disney Worldwide Services and ABC just handed over $2.75 million to California's Attorney General. Their crime? Screwing up CCPA opt-out requests. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-02-12/disney-to-pay-multi-million-settlement-ccpa

The complaint wasn't pretty — [Disney failed to provide comprehensive opt-out mechanisms](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/protecting-consumer-privacy-security/privacy-security-enforcement) that actually worked. When customers said "stop selling my data," Disney kept doing it anyway.

If Disney — with their army of lawyers and compliance teams — messed this up, what does that say about your website?

Why Disney's Screw-Up Should Scare You

The CCPA doesn't just target Fortune 500 companies. It applies to your business if you:

Make over $25 million annually, OR
Handle data from 50,000+ California consumers, OR
Get 50% of revenue from selling personal info

That 50,000 number hits faster than you think. Run Facebook ads? Google Analytics? Email marketing? You're probably already there.

The penalties are brutal. Up to $2,500 per violation — or $7,500 if they think you did it on purpose (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.155). And "per violation" often means per affected customer. Do the math on that.

What Disney Did Wrong (And You Probably Are Too)

California's AG called out Disney for not having a "comprehensive opt-out mechanism." Translation: their system looked good on paper but didn't actually stop data sharing when customers requested it.

Sound familiar? Most online stores make the same mistake. They slap up a privacy policy and call it done. But the CCPA requires working systems that actually honor opt-out requests across ALL your data activities.

5 Things to Check on Your Site Right Now

1. Test Your "Do Not Sell My Info" Link Find that link on your homepage. Click it. Submit a request. Did you get confirmation? Can you verify it actually worked? If not, you're in Disney territory.

2. Count Every Tool That Touches Customer Data Facebook Pixel. Google Analytics. Email platforms. Chat widgets. Every single one needs to respect opt-out requests. Most businesses forget half of these.

3. Read Your Privacy Policy Like a Customer Is it clear how to opt out? Does it explain what will actually stop? Lawyer-speak doesn't count. Your customers need to understand it.

4. Check If Your Verification Process is Reasonable You can verify someone's identity before processing their opt-out request. But you can't make it impossible. Are you asking for their firstborn child's birth certificate?

5. Look for Your Paper Trail You have 15 days to process opt-out requests. Can you prove you did it? Regulators will ask for records during audits.

Privacy Enforcement Just Got Real

Disney's fine isn't a one-off. [Enforcement actions are ramping up](https://www.beneschlaw.com/insight/ftc-enforcement-trends-in-2026-what-businesses-advertisers-should-be-watching-now/) across the board. State AGs are done with businesses that have "privacy theater" — policies that look good but don't actually work.

They're getting smarter about testing whether your opt-out buttons actually do anything. The CCPA requires businesses to "implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices" (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.150). That means systems that work, not just policies that sound good.

Fix This Before They Find You

Here's the thing — if Disney's compliance team missed these problems, your website probably has them too. The difference is Disney can afford a $2.75 million lesson. Can you?

Every day your opt-out system doesn't work is another day of violations piling up. With enforcement getting more aggressive and penalties hitting millions, fixing this now costs way less than dealing with regulators later.

**Want to know where you stand?** ComplyGuard's scanner checks your website against CCPA requirements and tests whether your opt-out systems actually work. It'll show you exactly what needs fixing before regulators come knocking. [Scan your site now](https://complyguard.com/scan) and avoid Disney's expensive mistake.

Disney Just Paid $2.75M for Privacy Failures — Are You Making the Same Mistakes?

Why Disney's Screw-Up Should Scare You

What Disney Did Wrong (And You Probably Are Too)

5 Things to Check on Your Site Right Now

1. **Test Your "Do Not Sell My Info" Link** Find that link on your homepage. Click it. Submit a request. Did you get confirmation? Can you verify it actually worked? If not, you're in Disney territory.

2. **Count Every Tool That Touches Customer Data** Facebook Pixel. Google Analytics. Email platforms. Chat widgets. Every single one needs to respect opt-out requests. Most businesses forget half of these.

3. **Read Your Privacy Policy Like a Customer** Is it clear how to opt out? Does it explain what will actually stop? Lawyer-speak doesn't count. Your customers need to understand it.

4. **Check If Your Verification Process is Reasonable** You can verify someone's identity before processing their opt-out request. But you can't make it impossible. Are you asking for their firstborn child's birth certificate?

5. **Look for Your Paper Trail** You have 15 days to process opt-out requests. Can you prove you did it? Regulators will ask for records during audits.