Hallmark class action alleges company shares website visitors’ info with Facebook

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Hallmark website class action overview: 

• Who: A man who used the Hallmark website sued the company. 
• Why: The plaintiff says Hallmark gave his information to Facebook. 
• Where: The Hallmark class action lawsuit was filed in a California federal court.

Hallmark provides information to Facebook about the videos users watch on its website, in violation of the law, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Jesse Cantu filed the class action lawsuit against Hallmark Cards Inc. on Nov. 18 in a California federal court, alleging violations of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA).

Whenever someone watches a video on hallmarkvideogreetingcards.com, Hallmark secretly reports all the details to Facebook, including the visitor’s identity and titles of videos watched, Cantu alleges.

“Why? So Facebook can bombard the person with more ads urging the person to buy products from Defendants,” the Hallmark class action claims.

Hallmark website allegedly embeds Facebook tracking pixel on site

Cantu alleges Hallmark embeds what is known as a Facebook tracking pixel on its website. Once activated, the Facebook tracking pixel “tracks the people and type of actions they take,” the Hallmark class action says.

The Facebook tracking pixel’s code tells Facebook what hallmarkvideogreetingcards.com videos a user views, Cantu says. 

He says he is a consumer privacy advocate with dual motivations for watching a video on the Hallmark: both because he was genuinely interested in learning more about the goods and services offered by Hallmark, and secondly, because he is a “tester” who works to ensure that companies abide by the privacy obligations imposed by federal law. 

“Given the nature of Defendants’ business, the content of videos that visitors watch is potentially highly sensitive. Visitors would be shocked and appalled to know that Defendants secretly disclose to Facebook all of key data regarding a visitors’ viewing habits,” the Hallmark class action lawsuit states.

Cantu looks to represent anyone in the United States who watched video content on hallmarkvideogreetingcards.com and whose personally identifiable information Hallmark disclosed to Facebook. 

He seeks certification of the class action, damages of $2,500 per infringement of the VPPA, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Meanwhile, Hallmark Cards is facing another class action lawsuit alleging it repeatedly sent telemarketing text messages to consumers, including those with numbers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry, despite being asked by them to stop.

Have you used the Hallmark website? Let us know what you think of these allegations in the comments. 

The plaintiff is represented by Scott J. Ferrell of Pacific Trial Attorneys APC. 

The Hallmark class action lawsuit is Jesse Cantu, et al. v. Hallmark Cards Inc., et al., Case No. 2:22-cv-08473, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. 

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