Data privacy violations result in $1.1M penalty for PlayOn Sports

High school media and tech firm PlayOn Sports has been ordered by the California Privacy Protection Agency to pay a $1.1 million fine for allegedly requiring students and parents to allow personal data tracking to access high school event ticketing services, reports Government Technology.

The enforcement action centers on PlayOn Sports' mobile ticketing system and how users interact with its platforms. The company operates several major high school sports services, including the GoFan digital ticketing platform, MaxPreps, and the NFHS Network streaming service used by schools across the country. Regulators said the investigation focused on the mobile interface for GoFan, which allegedly displayed a notice banner that blocked access to the ticket redemption screen until users clicked "Agree," effectively preventing entry to events unless they accepted the terms.

Officials also said the company did not provide the opt-out mechanisms required under California privacy law, instead directing users to submit requests through a phone number or email address. Investigators concluded those options did not sufficiently address data sharing tied to online tracking technologies, and they also found that the company's privacy disclosures were not consistently updated or clearly explained users' rights.