With Facebook about to go public, more lawsuits against the social network giant are making headlines. This time, a potential class action lawsuit is brewing stemming from Facebook’s practice of tracking its users on the Internet even after they have left the Facebook site. Attorneys filed the lawsuit in Maryland, accusing Facebook of violating wiretapping and privacy laws.
This practice is not new, apparently, as Google admitted last month to tracking peoples’ activity on the Internet. In order to do so, Google used loopholes in browser’s privacy settings. Caught red-handed, Google defended the practice by saying that Facebook’s “like” feature (that little thumbs-up icon) does exactly the same thing. Under pressure from the Obama Administration, Google installed a “do not track” option on its Chrome browser. However, federal regulators never pressured Facebook to do the same.
You likely notice Facebook’s thumbs-up “like” feature all over the web. The little thumb has caused big problems for Facebook. Earlier this year, a California lawsuit accused Facebook of using peoples’ names and images without their permission in promoting products “liked” by the users. The lawsuit is pending, but it could cost Facebook millions in damages.
Is Facebook tracking your Internet activity?
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida class action attorneys