Capital One, the eighth-largest bank in the U.S. by total assets, is now facing a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of secretly collecting and sharing personal and financial information from its customers with tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. The lawsuit claims that this data-sharing was done without customer consent and violated privacy laws.
#CapitalOne class action #lawsuit alleges it shares data with #Meta, #Google https://t.co/tpnrBZ4DeL
— crystal sanger (@BrainFullOfTabs) September 5, 2024
The complaint alleges that Capital One embedded tracking technologies on its website that have been in place since at least November 30, 2023, and continued as recently as June 24, 2024. These technologies, the lawsuit contends, were designed to monitor customer activities and pass that data along to third-party companies.
One of the lead plaintiffs, identified as Shah, claims to have experienced targeted ads on Facebook shortly after applying for a Capital One Venture X card. The ads were for various credit cards from other financial institutions, which appeared in his feed almost immediately after he visited Capital One’s website. Similar claims are made by other plaintiffs, asserting that the use of such trackers resulted in targeted advertising that seemed too closely aligned with their recent activity on the bank’s site.
The data allegedly shared by Capital One includes account details, credit card application and pre-approval information, employment history, and even user interactions on the website, such as button clicks and page visits. This, according to the lawsuit, was done without customers’ knowledge or permission, leading to allegations of invasion of privacy, unjust enrichment, and violation of consumer protection laws.
Capital One and Discover Defend $35 Billion Merger Amid Consumer Lawsuit Allegationshttps://t.co/TwCuVfUg09
— Bollywood Fever (@bollywoodfever3) August 28, 2024
The plaintiffs are pushing for a jury trial and are seeking both monetary and non-monetary compensation for what they claim is a breach of trust and legal obligations on the part of Capital One. The bank, boasting $630.89 billion in assets, is yet to publicly respond to these allegations.
Key Points:
i. Capital One is accused of illegally sharing customers’ personal and financial data with tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.
ii. The bank allegedly used tracking technologies on its website to monitor customer behavior without their consent.
iii. Plaintiffs claim they were served targeted ads soon after interacting with Capital One’s website.
iv. The lawsuit alleges invasion of privacy, breach of contract, and violation of consumer protection laws.
v. Plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial, along with monetary and non-monetary relief.
Susan Guglielmo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
