Meta class action claims company illegally collected Android users’ browsing data

Meta class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: A California resident filed a class action lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc.
• Why: The plaintiff claims Meta illegally collected non-anonymized browsing information from Android users.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A new class action lawsuit alleges Meta Platforms illegally collected browsing information from Android users without their consent.

Plaintiff Devin Rose claims Meta unlawfully exploited a communication channel within the Android ecosystem to link users’ browsing information to their Facebook and Instagram profiles, rendering the data non-anonymous and identifiable.

Rose argues that when an Android user with the Facebook or Instagram app visited a webpage containing the Meta Tracking Pixel, Meta linked the browsing information to their social media profiles, making users non-anonymous and identifiable.

“Of course, Meta had every incentive to exploit typical Android communication capabilities. Meta traffics in amassing as much information about users as possible,” the Meta class action says. 

Rose seeks to represent a nationwide class of Android users who had the Facebook or Instagram app installed on their devices and visited websites with the Meta Tracking Pixel from between September 2024 and June 2, 2025. 

Meta’s alleged actions violated privacy laws, class action claims

Rose argues Meta’s actions violated Android security protocols and Google’s privacy principles, prompting Google and other browser developers to take measures to mitigate the techniques.

The plaintiff further claims Meta’s alleged exploitation of Android communication capabilities was motivated by the company’s business model of amassing user data for targeted advertising.

“So, by exploiting this channel, Meta rendered Android users completely de-anonymous and exponentially increased the value of the data it collects,” the Meta class action says. 

Rose claims Meta violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and the California Invasion of Privacy Act.

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests an award of compensatory, punitive and statutory damages for himself and all class members. 

In another case involving Meta, an appeals court in Massachusetts declined in April to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed against the company over claims its Instagram platform is harmful and addictive for children. 

Did Meta collect your browsing information? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Philip L. Fraietta and Emily A. Horne of Bursor & Fisher PA.

The Meta class action lawsuit is Rose, et al. v. Meta Platforms Inc., Case No. 3:25-cv-04674, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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