Another Proposed Class Action Filed Over Facebook, Cambridge Analytica Data Sharing

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

Another proposed class action has been filed against Facebook, Inc. and Cambridge Analytica LLC (CA) over a reported data mining scandal that came to light earlier this year. Also filed against SCL Group, Limited – CA’s parent company – the suit claims the defendants unlawfully collected Facebook users’ personal information and used it to send targeted advertisements related to President Trump's election campaign and "dozens of state and federal races."

According to the complaint, CA harvested users’ data through a survey application titled “thisisyourdigitallife” through which it was not only able to collect app users’ information but could access other profiles linked to their accounts, adding up to an estimated 87 million users. The case claims that despite assuring consumers the survey information was being used only “for academic purposes,” CA built “psychological profiles” for each individual and targeted them with political advertisements during President Trump’s campaign. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook users never provided permission for their data to be shared with third parties and that the defendants’ conduct violated Facebook’s own terms and conditions to which users agreed when they signed up for their accounts.

The suit alleges Facebook users whose information was accessed during the alleged incident may now be “at higher risk of identity theft” that could lead to “severe financial consequences.”