Publishers Clearing House Class Actions Claim Subscribers Didn’t Know Personal Information Sold to Advertisers

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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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