Coursera class action claims company shares customer viewing history with Meta

Coursera data privacy class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Iman Ghazizadeh filed a class action lawsuit against Coursera Inc. 
• Why: Ghazizadeh claims Coursera discloses its customers’ video viewing history and personally identifiable information with Meta Platforms without its users knowledge or consent. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court. 

Educational technology company Coursera disclosed records of its customers’ video viewing history and personally identifiable information to Facebook-owner Meta Platforms without its users knowledge or consent, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Iman Ghazizadeh claims Coursera demonstrated a “brazen disregard” for the privacy rights of its customers and violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). 

“Consumers are never informed of, nor do they give consent to, such a disclosure of their private viewing histories to third parties,” the Coursera class action states. 

Ghazizadeh wants to represent a nationwide class of individuals who viewed a video on Coursera on a computer browser while they had a Facebook account.

Coursera uses ‘Meta Pixel’ to track and share customers’ video viewing histories with Meta, says class action

Ghazizadeh argues Coursera shares its customers’ viewing choices and histories with Meta by embedding an invisible tracking tool called the “Meta Pixel” that allegedly allows website owners to track the actions of visitors and send the information back to Meta. 

“Website owners integrate the Metal Pixel on their websites in hopes of better targeting their products and services on Facebook,” the Coursera class action states. 

Ghazizadeh claims Coursera failed, however, to seek and obtain the “appropriate consent as required under the VPPA before sharing or disclosing consumers’ video-viewing histories with anyone.” 

The plaintiff is demanding a jury trial and requesting declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of statutory and punitive damages for himself and all class members. 

A similar class action lawsuit was filed against Peacock TV last month by a pair of consumers arguing the company unlawfully shares the video viewing histories and unique Facebook ID numbers of its registered users with Facebook. 

Have you viewed a video on Coursera on a computer browser with an active Facebook account? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Rafey Balabanian and Michael Ovca of Edelson PC. 

The Coursera data privacy class action lawsuit is Ghazizadeh v. Coursera Inc., Case No. 5:23-cv-05646, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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