Twitter class action alleges company used user data for targeted marketing

Twitter user data class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Henry Yeh filed a class action lawsuit aainst Twitter Inc. 
• Why: Yeh claims Twitter secretly uses its users’ telephone numbers and email addresses for advertising and marketing purposes.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California.

Twitter secretly uses its users’ telephone numbers and email addresses for advertising and marketing purposes, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Henry Yeh claims Twitter misleads its users into believing their information would be used to help secure their accounts.

“Twitter solicited and collected Plaintiff’s and Class Members’ telephone numbers and email addresses under the guise that they were to be used for various account security related functions,” the Twitter class action states. 

In reality, Twitter uses its users’ information “to line its own pockets” by allegedly using their email addresses and telephone numbers in the company’s “Tailored Audiences” and “Partner Audiences” marketing products,” the Twitter class action alleges. 

Yeh wants to represent a nationwide class of Twitter users who provided their telephone number and/or email address to the social media company for account security purposes from between May 2013 and September 2019. 

Twitter agreed to pay $150 million FTC fine in May 2022 over alleged conduct

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Twitter in May 2022 over the alleged conduct, announcing at that time that Twitter would pay $150 million to settle the allegations.

“Consumers have a right to rely on what you say at the time you ask for their information. Trying to take it back in a contradictory statement buried elsewhere on your website is unlikely to correct a misrepresentation,” the FTC said in a blog post. 

Yeh claims Twitter is guilty of unjust enrichment, breach of contract and breach of implied contract, and of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law. 

The plaintiff is demanding a jury trial and requesting injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory, statutory and nominal damages for himself and all class members. 

A separate class action lawsuit was filed against Twitter in January over claims the company failed to protect its users’ personally identifiable information during a data breach from June 2021 through January 2022. 

Have you provided your telephone number or email address to Twitter for security purposes? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Sophia M. Rios, E. Michelle Drake of Berger Montague PC; John A. Yanchunis, Jean Sutton Martin, Patrick Barthle and Michael F. Ram of Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group; Kate M. Baxter-Kauf and Karen Hanson Riebel of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP; and John J. Nelson and Gary M. Klinger of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC. 

The Twitter user data class action lawsuit is Yeh, et al. v. Twitter, Inc., Case No. 3:23-cv-01790, in the Superior Court of the State of California. 

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