Insider class action alleges company gives subscriber data to Facebook

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Insider subscriber data class action overview: 

• Who: A subscriber to BusinessInsider.com is suing the website’s owner, Insider Inc.
• Why: The plaintiff says the company disclosed his personal information to Facebook without his consent.
• Where: The Insider subscriber class action was filed in a New York federal court.

Media company Insider Inc knowingly discloses personally identifiable information about its subscribers and their viewing habits to Facebook, in violation of the law, a new class action lawsuit alleges.   

Plaintiff Joseph Esposito filed the class action complaint against Insider Inc Oct. 4 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). 

According to the lawsuit, Insider Inc.—which runs BusinessInsider.com—violates the VPPA by disclosing its digital subscribers’ identities and video media to Facebook without the proper consent.

Insider uses Facebook pixel, lawsuit alleges

BusinessInsider.com installs the Facebook pixel, which allows it to collect users’ data, the lawsuit alleges.

“More specifically, it tracks when digital subscribers enter BusinessInsider.com or BusinessInsider.com’s accompanying App and view Video Media,” Esposito says. 

“BusinessInsider.com tracks and discloses to Facebook the digital subscribers’ viewed Video Media, and most notably, the digital subscribers’ [Facebook ID]. This occurs even when the digital subscriber has not shared (nor consented to share) such information.”

Esposito is looking to represent anyone in the United States with a digital subscription to an online website owned or operated by Insider that had their personal viewing information disclosed to Facebook by the company.

He is seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

Consumers have also recently filed class action lawsuits against Warner Bros., BuzzFeed, Sony, GameStop, the National Basketball Association, Bloomberg, AMC Networks and Realtor.com, with similar claims. 

Several companies, including HGTV, Forbes, Paramount and Dotdash Meredith, have also recently been accused of unlawfully sharing their subscribers’ info with Facebook. 

Have you had your personally identifiable information improperly shared with Facebook? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Michael L. Murphy of Bailey & Glasser LLP and Brandon M. Wise and Adam Florek of Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise LLP.

The Insider Inc class action lawsuit is Joseph Esposito v. Insider Inc, Case No. 1:22-cv-08455 in a U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

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