Costco class action alleges retailer shared customer health info with Meta

Costco class action overview: 

• Who: Costco is facing a class action lawsuit from a plaintiff identified only as R.S. 
• Why: Costco is accused of allowing technology companies such as Meta to track customers using embedded tracking tools and gain access to their personal health information.
• Where: The Costco Meta class action was filed in federal court in Seattle.

Costco is facing a class action lawsuit claiming that the company is allowing Meta to track customers using embedded tracking tools to access to their personal health information.

Costco embedded Facebook Pixel, a Meta product, on its website and that program then worked with marketing tools to allow the private information of patients to be sent to Meta without the patients’ consent, the class action lawsuit claims.

Patients use the Costco pharmacy website to register for the Costco Member Prescription Program and then fill and refill prescriptions, use its Rx mail order program or check the status or gather information about their prescriptions, the class action says.

“Unbeknownst to patients, defendant installed tracking tools on its website, which surreptitiously manipulated their web browsers, thereby causing their communications with the defendant via the website to be shared and/or intercepted by unauthorized third parties,” the class action says. 

Facebook allegedly collects personal health data, connects it with a Facebook profile

The data that Facebook collects is not anonymous but instead is connected with a specific Facebook user profile, the class action says, and Costco’s pharmacy is responsible for protecting individuals’ private health information per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

The company also is facing a separate class action claiming it falsely advertises its Kirkland-brand cranberry juice products as containing no preservatives.

Do you use the Costco website for your pharmacy orders? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Kim D. Stephens and Rebecca L. Solomon of Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC along with Gary M. Klinger, Glen L. Abramson and Alexandra M. Honeycutt of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC. 

The Costco class action lawsuit is R.S. v. Costco Wholesale Corp., Case No. 2:23-cv-01628, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Seattle Division.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• GoodRx class action claims company shares personal info with Meta, Google, others
• Google AI listens to, records customer service calls, class action claims
• Bissell class action alleges company monitors, records customer service calls
• New report finds tech companies may track children