MathWorks class action alleges company secretly monitors website chat conversations

MathWorks class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: A California woman filed a class action lawsuit against The MathWorks Inc.
• Why: The woman claims MathWorks monitors and records chat conversations on its website without consumers’ knowledge or consent.
• Where: The MathWorks class action lawsuit was filed in California state court.

A new class action lawsuit accuses MathWorks, a mathematical computing software company, of monitoring and recording chat conversations on its website without consumers’ knowledge or consent.

Plaintiff Rebeka Rodriguez claims in her March 10 lawsuit that MathWorks.com allows a third-party spyware company to eavesdrop on the private conversations of consumers who communicate through the chat feature on its website.

The MathWorks class action claims the third-party company exploits and monetizes the data in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA).

Rodriguez argues that MathWorks is guilty of wiretapping and eavesdropping on electronic communications without the consent of all parties to the communication.

“Compliance with CIPA is easy, and most website operators comply by conspicuously warning visitors if their conversations are being recorded, intercepted, or eavesdropped upon,” the MathWorks class action says. “Unlike most companies, Defendant ignores CIPA.”

MathWorks secretly pays third-party company to intercept chats, class action claims

Rodriguez claims MathWorks secretly pays third-party company Salesforce to embed its chat technology code into the chat feature offered on its website.

“Indeed, whenever a consumer chats via Defendant’s Website, the chat is routed through Salesforce’s servers so they may simultaneously collect a transcript of that chat, along with other user data, in real time and save it for later access,” the MathWorks class action says.

Rodriguez wants to represent a nationwide class of consumers who communicated with MathWorks using the chat feature on its website while physically located in the United States within the statute of limitations period.

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of statutory damages for herself and all class members.

In 2022, consumers filed multiple class action lawsuits against companies including Hot Topic, Meta Platforms, Michaels, Pet Supplies Plus, Microsoft, GameStop, Zillow, Lowes and Expedia, accusing them of not obtaining consent before allegedly unlawfully recording and then sharing the activity of their website users with third parties like Facebook. 

Have you ever communicated with MathWorks using the chat feature on its website? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Scott J. Ferrell and Victoria C. Knowles of Pacific Trial Attorneys APC.

The MathWorks class action lawsuit is Rebeka Rodriguez v. The MathWorks Inc., Case No. 24CU029715C, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego.

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