GolfPass Illegally Shared Subscribers’ Personal Data with Facebook, Class Action Alleges

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A proposed class action claims the companies behind sports video streaming service GolfPass have secretly shared subscribers’ personal data with Facebook without consent.

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The 26-page lawsuit alleges that in violation of the federal Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA)—which prohibits a “video tape service provider” from intentionally disclosing user data without consent—the companies “systematically” transmit subscribers’ personal information and viewing behavior to Facebook each time they use GolfPass.com.

Per the suit, defendants TGC, LLC; GolfNow, LLC and NBCUniversal Media—which together operate GolfPass—have captured and shared subscriber data through the use of Facebook’s Meta pixel, a back-end tracking tool embedded into the website designed to automatically record a user’s every interaction with the platform.

According to the case, when a subscriber uses GolfPass.com, the tracking tool sends to Facebook the title and URL of any videos the user views and their Facebook ID—a unique identifier linked to an individual’s Facebook profile.

Importantly, by sharing a consumer’s Facebook ID, the golf platform provides enough data to link the individual’s identity to their video-viewing history, the complaint contends.

Although the defendants could “easily” program the GolfPass website to ensure subscribers’ information remains confidential, the companies instead “chose to deprive [the plaintiffs] and class members of their rights under the VPPA” by sharing their protected data with the third party, the filing charges.

As the suit tells it, the defendants did not disclose the use of the tracking tool to subscribers, nor did they obtain consent from users to share their private data with Facebook.

The lawsuit looks to represent any Facebook users in the United States who, since February 6, 2022, subscribed to GolfPass, requested or obtained prerecorded video materials or services on its website via a browser and had their personal information disclosed to Facebook by the defendants.

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