Class action suit claims Zoom illegally shared user information with third parties News
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Class action suit claims Zoom illegally shared user information with third parties

A class action suit was filed on Monday in the Northern District of California against Zoom Video Communications, Inc., claiming Zoom illegally collected and shared its users’ information with third parties.

The complaint includes allegations under the California Consumer Privacy Act, California Consumers Legal Remedies Act, California Unfair Competition Law, and Art. 1, § 1 of the California Constitution.

First, the Class members claim Zoom violated the California Consumer Privacy Act. The California Consumer Privacy Act requires companies to implement reasonable security procedures and give consumers notice before collecting and distributing personal information. The complaint cites a report alleging Zoom disclosed personal user information without authorization to Facebook. The report indicates:

The Zoom app notifies Facebook when the user opens the app, details on the user’s device such as the model, the time zone and city they are connecting from, which phone carrier they are using, and a unique advertiser identifier created by the user’s device which companies can use to target a user with advertisements.

Second, the Class members allege Zoom’s business practices violated the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act and California Unfair Competition Law. The class members assert Zoom misrepresented the Zoom App’s characteristics, uses and quality. Further, the class members state Zoom “represented it was preventing unauthorized access and disclosure of users’ personal information when in fact it does not.”

Third, the class members claim a violation of privacy under Art. 1, § 1 of the California Constitution. The complaint states Zoom violated its users’ privacy by failing to secure clear and informed consent before disclosing personal information to third parties.

Overall, the Class members claim Zoom failed to “properly safeguard the personal information of the increasing millions of users.” The complaint explains the Zoom App recently increased in use due to the COVID-19 pandemic “as a means to more safely maintain closeness with friends and loved ones and conduct business.”

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