HuffPost class action claims website illegally collects user data

HuffPost class action overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Barton Golub filed a class action lawsuit against TheHuffingtonPost.com Inc.
• Why: Golub claims HuffPost violated California privacy law by collecting user data without consent.
• Where: The HuffPost class action was filed in California federal court.

A new class action lawsuit accuses HuffPost of violating California privacy law by collecting user data without consent.

Plaintiff Barton Golub filed the class action complaint against TheHuffingtonPost.com Inc. on Feb. 13 in California federal court, alleging violations of state law.

Golub claims HuffPost, a popular news website, violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) by collecting users’ IP addresses and other device identifier information without their consent.

Golub, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of himself and other California residents, claims that HuffPost’s use of tracking tools on its website is an invasion of privacy.

The lawsuit alleges that HuffPost installs tracking tools known as “pen registers” on users’ browsers when they visit the website. These tools reportedly collect users’ IP addresses, device fingerprints, and other data without their prior consent or a court order, which Golub argues is a violation of CIPA.

The California Invasion of Privacy Act was enacted to protect individuals’ privacy rights, and it requires companies to obtain consent or a court order before using devices that collect certain types of information.

HuffPost benefits financially from data collection, class action alleges

Golub claims HuffPost’s use of tracking tools is particularly invasive because the data collected can be used for targeted advertising and data monetization. He argues that HuffPost benefits financially from this data collection, allowing the company to sell user information to advertisers for more precise targeting.

The lawsuit seeks to represent a class of California residents who accessed the HuffPost website and had their IP addresses collected by the tracking tools. 

Golub is seeking statutory damages of $5,000 for each violation of CIPA, as well as an order preventing HuffPost from further violating the privacy rights of California residents.

HuffPost is not the only media company facing allegations of violating California’s privacy law. A similar class action against Buzzfeed recently accused the company of installing trackers on the internet browsers of its website visitors.

What do you think of the allegations made in this HuffPost class action? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by L. Timothy Fisher and Emily A. Horne of Bursor & Fisher PA.

The HuffPost class action is Golub v. TheHuffingtonPost.com Inc., Case No. 4:25-cv-01514-KAW in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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