A proposed class of legal professionals has unleashed a storm of litigation against Lawline, accusing the continuing legal education company of breaching privacy laws by disclosing subscribers’ data. The class action, filed on Friday in New York federal court, accuses Lawline of flouting the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by sharing sensitive viewing information with third parties, including Facebook, for targeted advertising.
CLE Data Sharing Suit : Accusations of Data Misuse
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Florida resident Kamilah Jolly, targets Furthered Inc.—operating as Lawline—for purportedly violating the VPPA. The 36-year-old law was designed to safeguard individuals’ video rental and sale data, and Jolly argues it should extend to modern data practices. She claims Lawline’s data-sharing practices, including tracking users’ video viewing history, fall within the law’s purview.
Jolly’s legal challenge is part of a growing wave of VPPA lawsuits against various digital platforms and streaming services. Notable targets have included major entities like Australia’s National Rugby League, Patreon, and Amazon, with accusations frequently linking to Facebook’s “Pixel” tool. This tool is alleged to track and share user information with Facebook for advertising.
Surveillance Through Tracking Pixels
According to the complaint, Lawline allegedly used Facebook’s tracking pixel—a code embedded on websites like Lawline’s—to monitor and transmit users’ viewing data to Facebook. Jolly contends that this tracking was not disclosed to users and that her personal viewing information was shared without her consent.
