WeightWatchers.com Discloses Visitor Data to Facebook Without Consent, Class Action Alleges

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A proposed class action alleges Weight Watchers has secretly disclosed WeightWatchers.com visitors’ identities and video-viewing histories to Facebook without consent.

The 16-page complaint against WW.com, LLC and WW International Inc. alleges that the weight-loss companies record and disclose to Facebook website visitors’ identities and certain detailed “event data,” including a video’s title, URL and every time the consumer clicks a button to pause or play the video, without permission.

“Why? So Facebook can bombard the person with more ads urging the person to buy products from [Weight Watchers],” the case contests.

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WW International’s alleged disclosures violate the federal Video Privacy Protection Act in that the company, a “video tape service provider,” has failed to obtain express written consent before transmitting users’ identities and specific video materials to a third party, the lawsuit alleges.

Per the case, WW International promotes its weight-loss services online using “before and after” videos, some of which contain content that could be considered sensitive. When a user watches a Weight Watchers video while logged into Facebook, the defendants transmit to the social media platform a packet of identifying information, the filing says.

“Given the nature of Defendants’ business, the content of videos that visitors watch is highly sensitive,” the filing says. “Visitors would be shocked and appalled to know that Defendants secretly disclose to Facebook all of key data regarding a visitors’ viewing habits.”

According to the complaint, WW International has installed on its web pages a piece of code known as the “Facebook tracking pixel,” which uses cookies to collect and share website visitors’ event data and Facebook ID with the social media giant. With a Facebook ID, anyone can quickly and easily look up and learn information about anyone else, the suit relays.

“Anyone can identify a Facebook profile—and all personal information publicly listed on that profile—by appending the Facebook ID to the end of Facebook.com,” the suit asserts. “Through the Facebook Tracking Pixel’s code, these cookies combine the identifiers with the event data, allowing Facebook to know, among other things, what Weightwatchers.com videos a user has watched.”

According to the filing, Facebook improves its targeted advertising capabilities by monitoring users’ “offsite” activities and learning more about their interests. Likewise, WW International benefits from Facebook’s robust targeted advertising capabilities, the case alleges.

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who watched video content on WeightWatchers.com and whose personally identifiable information was disclosed to Facebook by WW International.

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