{"id":4450,"date":"2014-01-07T12:30:12","date_gmt":"2014-01-07T17:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.nccomputertech.com\/?p=4450"},"modified":"2014-01-07T12:30:12","modified_gmt":"2014-01-07T17:30:12","slug":"facebook-sued-for-allegedly-reading-private-messages-and-selling-data-to-advertisers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2014\/01\/07\/facebook-sued-for-allegedly-reading-private-messages-and-selling-data-to-advertisers\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook sued for allegedly reading private messages and selling data to advertisers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Two Facebook users have filed a lawsuit against the social networking giant claiming the site violates the Electronic Communications Privacy Act in addition to California privacy and unfair competition laws by reading private messages sent between users and sharing key data with advertisers, marketers and other data aggregators.<\/p>\n

Michael Hurley and Matthew Campbell filed the lawsuit on December 30 in a U.S. district court in Northern California. The suit also alleges that Facebook scans messages for URLs and when a link is found, it\u2019s essentially clicked. If the destination has a Facebook \u201cLike\u201d button, it\u2019s registered as a \u201cLike.\u201d<\/p>\n

The plaintiffs want to suit to be made into a class action lawsuit and believe that up to 166 million Facebook member could be eligible to join in. The suit seeks up to $100 a day for each violation or $10,000 total for each user affected.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first time Facebook has been in hot water over private message privacy concerns. In 20012, the Wall Street Journal ran a story that essentially covered the same topic. Facebook at the time said their computers do analyze messages but only to filter spam and detect chatter that might be related to criminal activities.<\/p>\n

Facebook isn\u2019t the only company that\u2019s come under fire for allegedly reading users\u2019 messages as Google, LinkedIn and Yahoo have all faced privacy complaints in recent memory.<\/p>\n

As for the lawsuit, a Facebook spokesperson told the Huffington Post that the complaint is without merit and they will defend themselves vigorously.<\/p>\n

via Facebook sued for allegedly reading private messages and selling data to advertisers – TechSpot<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two Facebook users have filed a lawsuit against the social networking giant claiming the site violates the Electronic Communications Privacy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[347,604,849,851],"class_list":["post-4450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-security","category-social-media","tag-facebook","tag-lawsuit","tag-privacy","tag-private-messages"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/papNkV-19M","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9511,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2019\/01\/22\/millsplain-it-to-me-this-week-in-tech-702\/","url_meta":{"origin":4450,"position":0},"title":"Millsplain It to Me – This Week in Tech 702","author":"NCCT","date":"January 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/EtTfFJVBZ6s -Apple's Tim Cook Calls for Data Privacy. -773M Passwords Pwned - How to Find Out If Yours Was. -Amazon Tries to Make Alexa Sound \"Newsy.\" -Google Buys Fossil. -74% of Facebook Users are Clueless. -Facebook's 10 Year Challenge. -Atari Founder Making Alexa Board Games. -Stop Using Windows Phone! -Tokyo\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/EtTfFJVBZ6s\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9528,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2019\/03\/10\/third-party-dog-hats-this-week-in-tech-709\/","url_meta":{"origin":4450,"position":1},"title":"Third-Party Dog Hats – This Week in Tech 709","author":"NCCT","date":"March 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-nUG1REHhwU Location Tracking, Facebook Privacy, Breaking Up Big Tech, and More! -- Foursquare Location Tracking Leaps Past the Creepy Line -- Will Zuck Make Facebook Private? -- Thousands of New Millionaires are Coming to San Francisco -- Apple has Big Plans for Self-Driving Cars -- Elizabeth Warren Wants to Break\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/-nUG1REHhwU\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9343,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/05\/27\/this-week-in-tech-668-how-many-cups-in-a-stone\/","url_meta":{"origin":4450,"position":2},"title":"This Week in Tech 668: How Many Cups in a Stone?","author":"NCCT","date":"May 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/i1oqaFyVcQ0 --The FBI wants you to reboot your router right now. FBI agents have gained control of a huge Russian botnet. If your router is affected you just need to reboot it. --Facebook and Russian ads - how should government react in the age of cyber warfare? --Amazon sells facial\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/i1oqaFyVcQ0\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9910,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2025\/02\/11\/slap-and-flop-siri-ios-18-3-update-apple-music\/","url_meta":{"origin":4450,"position":3},"title":"Slap and Flop – Siri, iOS 18.3 Update, Apple Music","author":"NCCT","date":"February 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Xwqi58VczQ4 What's going on with Siri? iOS 18.3 update is out now, along with a fix to a zero-day flaw. You can buy iPhones on eBay with TikTok installed on them as TikTok is still not available for download on the App Store. And on January 27th, 2010, Steve Jobs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Xwqi58VczQ4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9516,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2019\/02\/03\/to-the-woodshed-with-you-this-week-in-tech-704\/","url_meta":{"origin":4450,"position":4},"title":"To the Woodshed With You! – This Week in Tech 704","author":"NCCT","date":"February 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/14UX3TQ0K3Q FaceTime Flaw, Apple Spanks Facebook and Google, Huawei Suspicions, FBI Wants Your DNA, and more. \u2022 How to Watch the Superbowl Commercials Without All That Annoying Football \u2022 Apple's Not So Horrible Quarterly Earnings \u2022 Facetime Flaw Dulls Apple's Privacy Shine \u2022 Apple Spanks Facebook and Google for Data\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/14UX3TQ0K3Q\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9364,"url":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/2018\/06\/03\/this-week-in-tech-669-15-minutes-of-fun\/","url_meta":{"origin":4450,"position":5},"title":"This Week in Tech 669: 15 Minutes of Fun","author":"NCCT","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/KQc0YlNQNfY --Apple's WWDC this week looks like it may be a disappointment for anyone hoping for new hardware. --Facebook is killing its \"Trending Topics\" section. --Teens prefer Instagram and Snapchat to Facebook; close to half are \"almost constantly\" online. --The Atari VCS is coming soon for expensive retro gaming. --Scooters\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Apple"","block_context":{"text":"Apple","link":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/category\/apple\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/KQc0YlNQNfY\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4450\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nccomputertech.com\/techtalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}