Did Twitter Violate Your Privacy? Lawsuit Investigation Sparked by $150M FTC Fine

If you gave Twitter your email address or phone number between May 2013 and September 2019, attorneys working with ClassAction.org want to hear from you.

Allegations have surfaced that Twitter said it was collecting personal information for account security purposes – but also ended up using it to target users with ads.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has already hit Twitter with a $150 million penalty over the issue, and now attorneys working with ClassAction.org are looking into whether they can file a class action lawsuit on behalf of Twitter users.

Twitter Violates FTC Order, Fined $150 Million

On May 25, 2022, the FTC announced it would be taking action against Twitter for deceptively using consumers’ account security information for targeted advertising.

According to the FTC, Twitter represented between May 2013 and September 2019 that it was collecting users’ email addresses and phone numbers to enable two-factor authentication, help with account recovery and reauthenticate accounts when Twitter detects suspicious or malicious activity.

The FTC says Twitter’s alleged actions violate not only federal law, but also an order handed down by the agency in 2011 that prohibited the company from misrepresenting how it maintains and protects the security and privacy of nonpublic consumer information.

The 2011 order came to pass after Twitter settled claims with the FTC that the social media site put consumers’ privacy at risk by failing to safeguard their personal information. According to the FTC, “serious lapses” in the company’s security opened the door for hackers to access Twitter users’ data on two separate occasions in 2009. Twitter’s 2011 settlement with the FTC barred the company from misrepresenting, among other things, the measures taken to block unauthorized access to users’ data and honor their privacy choices.

But Twitter again misled its users, according to the FTC, when it said it was collecting their phone numbers and email addresses for account security purposes without mentioning that the data would also be used for targeted advertising – Twitter’s main source of revenue. The FTC says Twitter handed over users’ information to advertisers, who matched it with data they already had in order to target ads to specific consumers.

Aside from the $150 million fine, the FTC order required Twitter to notify users that their information had been misused and take certain actions to promote data security.

Attorneys are now investigating whether a class action lawsuit can be filed against Twitter on behalf of consumers who provided their phone numbers and email addresses for account security purposes.

What Could I Get from a Class Action Lawsuit?

A class action lawsuit, if successful, could help Twitter users get back money for the alleged violations of their privacy. It could also require the social media company to change the way it collects and uses individuals’ data.

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