BuzzFeed class action alleges company shares subscriber data with Facebook

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BuzzFeed data sharing Facebook class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Brittney Wright filed a class action lawsuit against BuzzFeed, Inc., d/b/a Huffpost.com. 
• Why: Wright claims BuzzFeed shares the personally identifiable information and video browsing histories of its Huffingtonpost.com digital subscribers with Facebook without proper consent. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois federal court. 

BuzzFeed discloses the identities and video viewing activity of its Huffingtonpost.com digital subscribers with Facebook without proper consent, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Brittney Wright claims BuzzFeed violates the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by sharing the personally identifiable information and video browsing history of its digital subscribers with Facebook. 

Wright argues BuzzFeed does not receive proper consent before disclosing the information it collects from its Huffingtonpost.com digital subscribers using what is known as the Facebook Pixel. 

“Put simply, the pixel allows Facebook to know what Video Media one of its users viewed on HuffingtonPost.com,” the BuzzFeed class action states. 

BuzzFeed class action alleges company profits ‘handsomely’ by disclosing digital subscriber data with Facebook 

BuzzFeed “profits handsomely from its unauthorized disclosure of its digital subscribers’ Personal Viewing Information to Facebook,” the BuzzFeed class action argues.

It claims further that BuzzFeed deprives its digital subscribers of the rights afforded to them by the VPPA by “knowingly and systematically disclosing their Personal Viewing Information to Facebook” without consent. 

Wright demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of punitive damages for herself and all class members.

She wants to represent a nationwide class of consumers who have a digital subscription to an online website owned and operated by BuzzFeed and who had their personal viewing information disclosed to Facebook. 

A similar class action lawsuit was filed against GameStop last month by a pair of consumers arguing the company unlawfully shares the personally identifiable information and video viewing history of its customers with Facebook. 

Are you a digital subscriber to an online website owned by BuzzFeed who has had their data shared with Facebook? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Brandon M. Wise and Adam Florek of Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, LLP, and Patrick Muench and Michael L. Murphy of Bailey & Glasser LLP. 

The BuzzFeed class action lawsuit is Wright v. Buzzfeed, Inc., d/b/a Huffpost.com, Case No. 1:22-cv-04927, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

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