Abraham Jewett  |  December 3, 2021

Category: Legal News

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publishers clearing house class action
(Photo Credit: Sharaf Maksumov/Shutterstock)

Publishers Clearing House Mailing Lists Class Action Lawsuits Overview: 

  • Who: Publishers Clearing House, Inc. is facing multiple class action lawsuits. 
  • Why: Plaintiffs claim Publishers Clearing House unlawfully sold or rented mailing lists containing their subscribers’ personal information to various third parties, including data miners.
  • Where: The class action lawsuits are pending in New York federal court.

Publishers Clearing House sells and rents mailing lists containing subscribers’ personal information to a variety of third parties, including data miners and list brokers, multiple new class action lawsuits allege. 

Five plaintiffs have filed separate class action lawsuits against Publishers Clearing House (PCH), with each claiming the publishing company monetizes its subscribers’ private information—including their names and addresses—without consent. 

The lead plaintiffs each want to represent a Class of Illinois, South Dakota, Puerto Rico, Ohio, and California residents who had their names appear on a mailing list that was sold, rented, or offered for sale by PCH. 

The plaintiff claim PCH never asked for permission before selling or renting their personal information on the open market to data miners, data aggregators, data cooperatives, aggressive marketing companies, list brokers, and others. 

Each individual state—or territory, in Puerto Rico’s case—has a right of publicity statute that prohibits the practice of selling or renting mailing lists containing personal identifying transaction data, according to the class action lawsuits. 

Further, plaintiffs argue the practice of selling or renting the mailing lists is not only unlawful but also puts the exposed customers’ at risk of identity fraud or of being targeted in some way. 

“While PCH profits handsomely from the use of its customers’ names, likenesses, and other personal identifying attributes in this way, it does so at the expense of its customers’ statutory rights of publicity,” the class action lawsuit’s each state.

Publishers Clearing House Violates Multiple State Privacy Laws, Claim Class Actions

Plaintiffs individually argue PCH is in violation of Illinois’ Right of Publicity Act, the California Right of Publicity Law, Ohio’s Right of Publicity Law, Puerto Rico’s Right of Publicity Act, and South Dakota’s Right of Publicity Law

Plaintiffs are uniformly demanding a jury trial and separately requesting statutory damages ranging from $750 to $100,000 for themselves and each Class Member. 

A similar class action lawsuit was filed last month against Hearst Communications by magazine subscribers who claim the company unlawfully sells and rents their personal information to third parties

Did your name appear on a mailing list sold by PCH to a third party? Sign up to start a class action lawsuit here

The plaintiffs are represented by Thomas L. Laughlin, IV and Jonathan M. Zimmerman of Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP, and Frank S. Hedin and Arun G. Ravindran of Hedin Hall LLP. 

The PCH Mailing Lists Class Action Lawsuits are Kenter v. Publishers Clearing House, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-06684, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York; Tanenbaum v. Publishers Clearing House, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-06687, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York; Palmer v. Publishers Clearing House, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-06686, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York; Green v. Publishers Clearing House, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-06683, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York; and Fiordirosa v. Publishers Clearing House, Inc., Case No. 2:21-cv-06682, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.


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111 thoughts onPublishers Clearing House Class Actions Claim Subscribers Didn’t Know Personal Information Sold to Advertisers

  1. Jeri ann young says:

    Please contact me approx 25 ftc complaints, state’s attorney etc

    1. Msjuju says:

      I do have a situation with PCH
      A HORRIBLY BAD IMPERSONATOR LOSS OF MONEY MY DREAM WERE SUPER CRUSHED BY POSER OF PCH
      PLEASE RESPOND
      KEPT EVIDENCE

  2. Geri magee says:

    Idk add me please

  3. AUDREY FOSTER says:

    I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING NOT RIGHT ABOUT PCH … PLEASE ADD ME TO THE LIST.

    1. Del says:

      I feel the same way after 30 years of entering , buying items, I won 10.00.
      I get flood with emails and calls all day long.

      1. Laurie David says:

        I have emails and calls all day long as well and have only got one check of $10.00 for my winnings from PCH and been a member since 2006 and l am tired of even more junk mail and calls lately.

        1. Laurie David says:

          Please add me to your list

  4. Donna Wolke says:

    add me

  5. JOYCE ROBINSON says:

    Please add me

  6. gerald copeland says:

    stop people from calling me all day long

  7. Heidi Humphreys says:

    add me

  8. fd says:

    found this on PCH :Please provide the information requested below if you would like to request that your personal information not be sold to third parties.

    California and Nevada residents may use this page to request that personal information not be sold to third parties as provided under their applicable state law.

  9. LEKEVIYA Newberry says:

    Learning how to get money

  10. Heather says:

    Add me

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