US judge in Facebook data privacy case rejects class action bid
Jan 27 (Reuters) - A federal judge in California has refused to allow millions of Facebook users to band together as a class in a lawsuit accusing the social media company of duping them about its privacy safeguards in order to maintain market dominance.
San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge James Donato on Friday rejected, opens new tab key evidence that the plaintiffs presented to justify certifying the case as a class action against Facebook parent Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab.
The judge ruled that the consumers could not rely on an expert's findings that Meta would have paid its users $5 a month for their personal data in a competitive market. The expert estimated nationwide damages of more than $52 billion.
Meta had called, opens new tab the expert's analysis 'junk science' and had urged Donato to bar the plaintiffs from using it. The company has denied any wrongdoing.
In a statement, Meta welcomed Donato's ruling and said the company 'faces fierce competition for the time and attention of people and businesses.'
The consumers' lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Granting class action status can place extra pressure on a corporate defendant to settle, especially in cases where a company faces claims of billions of dollars.
Donato is presiding over a consolidated lawsuit that was first filed in 2020.
The consumers told the court, opens new tab that Facebook users trusted the company's "abundant (and false) assertions that Facebook respects their privacy and gives users full control over what data it collects and who uses their data and how."
The consumer plaintiffs had asked Donato to certify a class of Facebook users between 2016 and 2020.
Meta in a court filing said the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit 'found personalized value' and enjoyment in using Facebook, and did not base their decision to use the platform on alleged misstatements about its privacy protections.
The case is Maximilian Klein et al v. Meta Platforms, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:20-cv-08570-JD.
For plaintiffs: Shana Scarlett of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro and Kevin Teruya of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
For Meta: Sonal Mehta, David Gringer and Ari Holtzblatt of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Meta must face shuttered photo app's antitrust lawsuit, US appeals court rules
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