This class action sues Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. as the owner of CNN.com. The complaint alleges that CNN violates the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by disclosing names and URLs of videos watched by its users, together with their identifying information, to Meta Platforms, Inc. or Facebook.
The class for this action is all persons in the US with a digital subscription to an online website owned or operated by Warner Bros. Discovery that had their Personal Viewing Information disclosed to Facebook by Warner Bros. Discovery.
When consumers wish to register for CNN.com, they sign up for an online newsletter, entering personal information such as their names, email addresses, and zip codes. Once they have subscribed, they can access a range of CNN.com videos. During the sign-up process, the complaint alleges, they are not told that their information will be shared with third parties.
The complaint alleges, “The VPPA generally prohibits the knowing disclosure of a customer’s video rental or sale records without the informed, written consent of the customer in a form ‘distinct and separate from any form setting forth other legal or financial obligations.’” Thus, it says, CNN.com is prohibited from sharing video viewing information without first getting its users’ express consent in a stand-alone form.
But the complaint claims that CNN.com does collect and share information about the visitors to its website and app, via software development kits (SDKs) and the Facebook tracking pixel.
According to the complaint, CNN.com has installed the Facebook pixel on its website which allows it to collect and share data. The complaint alleges, “When a CNN.com digital subscriber enters the website and watches Video Media on the website, the website sends to Facebook certain information about the viewer, including … their identity and the media content the digital subscriber watched. Specifically CNN.com sends to Facebook the video content name, its URL, and, most notably, the viewers’ Facebook ID” or FID.
Facebook assigns and FID to each of its users, which the complaint claims can be used by Facebook—or any other ordinary person—to identify that user. “Simply put,” the complaint alleges, “with only an FID and the video content name and URL … any ordinary person could learn the identity of the digital subscriber and the specific video or media content they requested on CNN.com.”
The complaint thus asserts that CNN.com is not sharing anonymous or general data with Facebook; instead, it says, “the data it discloses is tied to unique identifiers that track specific Facebook users. Importantly, the recipient of the Personal Viewing Information—Facebook—receives the Personal Viewing Information as one data point.”
In this way, the complaint alleges, CNN.com “has thus monetized its database by disclosing its digital subscribers’ Personal Viewing Information to Facebook in a manner allowing it to make a direct connection—without the consent of its digital subscribers and to the detriment of their legally protected privacy rights.”
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Privacy
Most Recent Case Event
CNN.com Disclosure of Videos Viewed to Facebook Complaint
September 12, 2022
This class action sues Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. as the owner of CNN.com. The complaint alleges that CNN violates the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by disclosing names and URLs of videos watched by its users, together with their identifying information, to Meta Platforms, Inc. or Facebook.
CNN.com Disclosure of Videos Viewed to Facebook ComplaintCase Event History
CNN.com Disclosure of Videos Viewed to Facebook Complaint
September 12, 2022
This class action sues Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. as the owner of CNN.com. The complaint alleges that CNN violates the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by disclosing names and URLs of videos watched by its users, together with their identifying information, to Meta Platforms, Inc. or Facebook.
CNN.com Disclosure of Videos Viewed to Facebook Complaint