Dotdash Meredith Illegally Sells Utah Consumers’ Private Data to Third Parties, Class Action Claims

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A proposed class action alleges the publisher of Entertainment Weekly, Better Homes and Gardens, People and other popular magazines illegally rents, sells, and exchanges Utah subscribers’ private information without notice.

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The 30-page lawsuit says defendant Dotdash Meredith—the largest digital and print publisher in the United States—secretly discloses lists containing “intimate details” about magazine subscribers to “anybody willing to pay for it,” including data aggregators, data appenders, data cooperatives, list brokers, political organizations, direct-mail advertisers, non-profit organizations and other third parties.

According to the case, Dotdash Meredith is required under Utah’s Notice of Intent to Sell Nonpublic Personal Information Act (NISNPIA) to provide residents with prior notice that it may disclose their personal information to third parties for compensation.

The plaintiff, a Utah resident who has subscribed to several of the defendant’s magazines, including People, Country Home, Allrecipes, Southern Living, Real Simple, Magnolia Journal and Wood, claims that she and other consumers had no idea their information was being rented, sold and exchanged since Dotdash Meredith never informed them of its data sharing practices, much less obtained their consent.

The complaint claims the defendant’s “intentional, systematic, and unlawful” disclosures reveal customers’ full names, addresses and purchasing habits, as well as other private information such as their genders, ages, incomes, ethnicities, political views, lifestyle interests, preferred travel locations, hobbies, reading habits, health and exercise routines, and sports and outdoor interests.

“Documented evidence confirms these facts,” the complaint says, claiming that an offer posted by Dotdash Meredith on AudienceFirstMedia.com advertises access to a database containing information belonging to “all 7,499,000” of its recent magazine and book purchasers for 11.5 cents apiece.

The plaintiff claims to have received a “barrage of unwanted junk mail” since Dotdash Meredith began selling her information to direct-mail advertisers without her knowledge or permission.

“In addition to causing waste and inconvenience, direct-mail advertisers often use consumer information to lure unsuspecting consumers into various scams, including fraudulent sweepstakes, charities, and buying clubs,” the complaint says. The filing notes that the defendant’s unlawful disclosures are especially dangerous to the elderly, who may be more at risk of serious harm from scammers.

“Egregiously,” the suit contends, Dotdash Meredith allows third parties to directly target these “particularly vulnerable members of society” by offering lists of all its customers over 50 years old, broken down by age bracket. The case claims the company also offers lists of all customers with children, broken down by the children’s ages.

“For example, anyone could rent a customer list from Meredith that contains the names and addresses of all Hispanic women in Utah who are over the age of 60, live in a home with children between 6 and 12 years old, have an annual income of less than $30,000, and subscribe to Better Home & Gardens,” the complaint shares. “Such a list is available for sale on the open market for approximately $176.00 per thousand subscribers listed.”

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in Utah who had their private data obtained by Dotdash Meredith on or after January 1, 2004 as a result of a consumer transaction and had such information disclosed by the company to one or more third parties.

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