MLB.tv Subscribers’ Personal Data Secretly Given to Facebook, Class Action Says
Henry v. Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P.
Filed: February 26, 2024 ◆§ 1:24-cv-01446
A proposed class action alleges MLB.tv has unlawfully shared the personal data of hundreds of thousands of subscribers with Facebook without consent.
New York
A proposed class action alleges MLB.tv has unlawfully shared the personal data of hundreds of thousands of subscribers with Facebook without consent.
Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.
The 23-page privacy lawsuit claims Major League Baseball (MLB) Advanced Media, L.P. has run afoul of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a federal law that bars “video tape service providers” from knowingly disclosing consumers’ personally identifiable information without express permission.
The VPPA lawsuit says that when a user accesses MLB.tv or the app, back-end tracking tools embedded into the platform automatically transmit to Facebook the title and URL of any videos they watch and their Facebook ID, a unique string of numbers that can be used to identify an individual’s social media account.
By sharing this combination of data, the company thereby makes it possible for Facebook—or, indeed, anyone—to “quickly and easily” link a specific subscriber to their video-viewing preferences, the case contends.
“In other words, by obtaining a person’s [Facebook ID], any third party can discover exactly which videos that person watched on [MLB.tv], which is exactly the type of personally identifiable information that VPPA is intended to protect from unauthorized disclosure,” the complaint charges.
As the filing tells it, MLB.tv could easily be programmed to prevent users’ private data from being shared with Facebook. However, it is not in the company’s commercial interest to do so, as its data-sharing practices are profitable and useful for targeted advertising, the lawsuit relays.
As such, MLB Advanced Media has chosen to disregard consumers’ rights under the VPPA and reap “secret profits” at the expense of their privacy, the suit alleges.
According to the case, the defendant does not disclose its use of tracking tools to subscribers, nor does it obtain consent from users to transmit their personal information to Facebook.
“Because [MLB Advanced Media] does not inform MLB.tv digital subscribers about this dissemination of their Personal Viewing Information—indeed, it is automatic and invisible—they cannot exercise reasonable judgment to defend themselves against the highly personal ways MLB.tv has used and continues to make money by using their personal data,” the complaint asserts.
The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States with a digital subscription to an online website or app owned by MLB Advanced Media that had their personal information disclosed to Facebook by the company.
Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.
Video Game Addiction Lawsuits
If your child suffers from video game addiction — including Fortnite addiction or Roblox addiction — you may be able to take legal action. Gamers 18 to 22 may also qualify.
Learn more:Video Game Addiction Lawsuit
Depo-Provera Lawsuits
Anyone who received Depo-Provera or Depo-Provera SubQ injections and has been diagnosed with meningioma, a type of brain tumor, may be able to take legal action.
Read more: Depo-Provera Lawsuit
How Do I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
Did you know there's usually nothing you need to do to join, sign up for, or add your name to new class action lawsuits when they're initially filed?
Read more here: How Do I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
Stay Current
Sign Up For
Our Newsletter
New cases and investigations, settlement deadlines, and news straight to your inbox.
Before commenting, please review our comment policy.