MLB.com Sued Over Alleged Consumer Data Sharing With Facebook

Case Overview: A class action lawsuit has been filed against Major League Baseball Advanced Media, alleging the company shared user data with Facebook without consent, violating the Video Privacy Protection Act.

Consumers Affected: MLB.com users.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the operator of MLB.com, shares consumers data with Facebook without their consent, violating the Video Privacy Protection Act, a new lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit claims that MLB used a tracking tool known as the "Meta Pixel" to transmit details about its subscribers' viewing habits to Meta (formerly Facebook) over the past two years, including their names, addresses, and the specific videos users watched. 

MLB.com Accused Of Sharing User Data With Facebook Without Consent

Aaron Golland, Timothy Parker, Jose Santiago, and Lance Smith filed the proposed class action lawsuit against the media company, alleging it had violated their privacy (and that of many other people) in its use of Meta Pixels. 

The group, who all use the MLB.com to Major League Baseball content, all allege that Major League Baseball Advanced Media shared their personal viewing information with Meta without their permission, saying they never consented to the company disclosing details about the videos they watched or their Facebook IDs (FID), a unique identifier linked to their Meta profile. According to the lawsuit, this information was shared without any notice, invading their privacy and violating the VPPA.

“Plaintiffs and the Class members suffered invasions of their statutorily protected right to privacy (as afforded by the VPPA), as well as intrusions upon their private affairs and concerns that would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, as a result of Defendant’s uniform and wrongful conduct in intentionally disclosing their Private Purchase Information to Meta,” the lawsuit alleges. 

What Are Meta Pixels And How Are They Used For Tracking?

The lawsuit focuses on the use of "Meta Pixel," a tracking tool that collects data on users' online activity. Tracking pixels are snippets of code embedded in websites or emails to gather information about consumers. 

Initially, pixels were small, hidden images, but they have evolved into more complex tools involving HTML and JavaScript. The Meta Pixel allows companies to monitor website visitors' actions and send this data to Meta. In Major League Baseball Advanced Media’s case, the Meta Pixel allegedly captured users' Facebook IDs and the specific videos they watched, making it possible to link viewing habits to personal identities, the lawsuit alleges.

Lawsuit Claims MLB.com Violated Video Privacy Protection Act

The Meta Pixel installed on MLB.com transmits detailed information about users' viewing behavior to Meta. This includes a subscriber's FID, which can be used to identify their Facebook profile. By simply entering the FID into a web browser, anyone could access the Meta profile tied to that unique ID. 

MLB.com’s use of the Meta Pixel reportedly shared this data alongside the titles of videos subscribers requested or viewed. The VPPA, a federal law that protects consumers' video viewing data, prohibits the sharing of such information without prior written consent. The lawsuit contends that MLB.com knowingly violated this law by allowing Meta to access users' personal viewing data without informing them.

Consumer Privacy Concerns Spark Wave Of Lawsuits Against Companies

MLB.com is not alone in facing legal action over privacy violations related to data sharing. MasterClass, an online learning platform, is also accused of sharing subscribers' personal viewing information with Meta without consent, similarly violating the VPPA. The lawsuit against MasterClass claims that the company shared details about the videos users watched, along with their names and addresses.

Other companies, such as Office Depot and Henry Ford Health, are also being sued for allegedly using tracking pixels to share private information with third parties like Facebook and Google. Office Depot is accused of embedding spy pixels in marketing emails, while Henry Ford Health is facing scrutiny for sharing patients' confidential medical data without consent. 

In the Major League Baseball Advanced Media lawsuit, the plaintiffs want to represent consumers from across the country in their allegations of violations of the VPPA. They are seeking damages, injunctive relief, interest, fees, and costs.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Golland, et al. v. Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P.
• Case Number: 1:24-Cv-06270
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Elliot O. Jackson, Frank S. Hedin, and Arun G. Ravindran (Hedin LLP)

Have you used MLB.com or other streaming platforms? Are you concerned about your viewing data being shared with third parties? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.