Zillow, Redfin Hit with Video Privacy Lawsuits Over Website User Tracking

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Zillow Group and Redfin Corporation each face a proposed class action lawsuit over their alleged use of secret pixels on their respective websites to track the videos watched by users and send that data to third-party vendors without valid consent. 

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The video privacy lawsuits accuse Zillow and Redfin of violating the federal Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) and California Invasion of Privacy Act, laws that protect consumers from having their personal information or communications disclosed without consent.

The Zillow lawsuit relays that the company, one of the largest online real estate marketplaces nationwide, features on Zillow.com video tour walkthroughs of properties listed for sale. These video tours consist of prerecorded videos with an accompanying audio track, the filing says. 

According to the suit, Zillow has knowingly installed on its website pixels and other tracking tools developed by third-party advertisers, technology that captures the personal information of users as it relates to specific videos they’ve watched. Zillow then disclosed this data to the third-party developers, the case alleges. 

Similarly, the Redfin lawsuit states that the real estate brokerage also offers on its website video tours of many properties listed for sale, consisting of prerecorded video with accompanying audio. Like Zillow, Redfin has knowingly installed on Redfin.com surreptitious tracking pixels and other technologies from third-party developers that capture and transmit users’ video viewing data without consent, the complaint claims. 

The tracking technology on Zillow and Redfin’s websites send user video activity to third parties such as Reddit, Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), Oracle and Snapchat, the lawsuits say. 

“Defendant programmed such third-party tracking technology into its website for advertising purposes and to increase its profits. Defendant knew that such tracking technology would transmit site visitors’ activity, including records of which video tours they have watched, as the entire purpose of implementing such technology is so that Defendant can target advertisements or send marketing emails through the technology’s third-party providers.” 

The lawsuits look to cover all individuals in the United States with a Zillow account or a My Redfin account and who requested or viewed a guided video tour on or through Zillow.com or Redfin.com within the applicable statute of limitations period. 

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