Facebook Inc(NASDAQ:FB)
stated that a $15 billion lawsuit alleging that the company has been secretly
tracking the internet activity of its users after they log off must be
dismissed as the subscriber have not specified how they were harmed.
Matthew Brown, a lawyer
of the social networking giant told Edward Davila, US District Judge, that the
accusation lacks allegations of any injury or harm. The plaintiffs have
apparently not identified what websites they have visited, what sort of
information was collected or whether Facebook has disclosed it.
The lawsuit merges similar
companies frilled by US residents, who subscribed to Menlo Park, Facebook based
in California.
The most popular social
networking site in the world, Facebook has been monitored by European and
French regulators over how it protects private information of its users. The
consolidated case in San Jose stated that while Facebook users agree to the
firm’s installation of ‘cookie’ filed on their PCs to track and broadcast their
Web browsing, they surely do not agree to such monitoring after logging out of
the site.
Stephen Grygiel, a
lawyer for the users said that users used the computers in the way they were
supposed to. However, Facebook used tricks to intercept electronic
communications with third party websites of users. This accounts for a
violation of federal wiretap and stored communications.
The US Wiretap Act
provides for damages amounting to as much as $100 per infringement each day for
each Facebook user, as per the complaint.
The lawsuit combines 21
privacy lawsuits against the social network into a solo, class-action suit. It
was filed on behalf of US residents, who subscribed to Facebook from May of
2010 to September of 2011 in 10 states including Alabama, California and Texas.
The complaint also
asserts claims under Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Stored Communication Act.
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