PBS class action claims company sent subscribers’ info, preference data to Meta

PBS Meta class action overview: 

• Who: A PBS subscriber is suing the broadcast company.
• Why: The plaintiff says the company illegally sent sensitive subscriber information to Facebook.
• Where: The PBS class action was filed in a Georgia federal court.

PBS must face class action claims alleging it installed code on its website that illegally sent sensitive subscriber information to Facebook. 

Plaintiff Jazmine Harris filed the class action lawsuit against the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) June 2022 in a Georgia federal court, alleging violations of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). 

On March 20, 2023, U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown denied the broadcaster’s bid to dismiss the lawsuit, stating the company must face the claims. 

According to the lawsuit,  the public broadcaster installed a Facebook pixel code on its website that, without consent, tracked what videos Harris and other subscribers watched, then combined that data with personal details and a Facebook ID and gave the information to Facebook’s parent company, Meta.

The data was used to target advertising to PBS subscribers, the lawsuit alleges.

“Defendant configured its website to cause this to happen because it benefits financially by providing this highly sought-after information,” the lawsuit states. “It could easily configure its website so this does not happen… Defendant does all of this without the account holder’s consent.”

Judge says plaintiff has a viable claim

The plaintiff alleged the broadcaster bundled her information — including address, email and IP address, along with data about the videos she was interested in — and sent it to Facebook when she logged onto its website, the judge said. 

Questions around exactly how much of her viewing information was shared to Facebook and whether PBS knew the code it installed on its website would send personal information to Facebook will need to be answered in discovery, he added.

“If defendant installed the Facebook pixel knowing it transmits that information, the knowledge element of the VPPA is satisfied,” Judge Brown wrote.

PBS is not the only one facing similar accusations.

A 2022 class action lawsuit alleges Weight Watchers provided information to Facebook about the videos users watch on its website, in violation of the law.

What do you think of the allegations against PBS in this case? Let us know in the comments! 

Harris is represented by Andrew J. Shamis of Shamis & Gentile PA.

The PBS class action lawsuit is Jazmine Harris, et al. v. Public Broadcasting Service, Case No. 1:22-cv-02456, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

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