Did Norton Expose Your Private Information? Attorneys Investigate Suspected Privacy Violations

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org suspect that Gen Digital Inc., the company behind Norton and formerly known as NortonLifeLock Inc., may be illegally sharing consumers’ data and are now investigating possible legal action.

Specifically, they believe Norton may be using an online tracking tool that secretly collects information about certain users as they navigate its websites and apps and sends this data to marketing company Quantum Metric without consent.

It’s possible that these transmissions may expose highly sensitive information customers provide when enrolling in Norton’s services, such as their names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, or credit card numbers.

How Could Norton Be Sharing Data with Quantum Metric?

Many website and app operators gather data about users through invisible tracking tools that operate in the background.

For instance, web-tracking code provided by Quantum Metric, which can be embedded on any webpage, can be programmed to record every action a visitor takes, such as the buttons they click, the searches they perform and the content they view. In general, the data collected by a website through Quantum Metric’s software can be used by the site operator to better target advertisements to their users.

In this case, attorneys are specifically looking into whether Norton is tracking users as they purchase its cybersecurity services and sending Quantum Metric the private information they submit to complete these transactions.

Attorneys believe that Norton’s suspected data-sharing practices may violate certain wiretapping laws, which prohibit the interception and disclosure of an individual’s electronic communications without their permission. 

Is This a Lawsuit? What Am I Signing Up For, Exactly?

You are not signing up for a lawsuit, but rather a process known as mass arbitration. This is a relatively new legal technique that, like a class action lawsuit, allows a large group of people to take action and seek compensation from a company over an alleged wrongdoing. Here is a quick explanation of mass arbitration from our blog:

[M]ass arbitration occurs when hundreds or thousands of consumers file individual arbitration claims against the same company over the same issue at the same time. The aim of a mass arbitration proceeding is to grant relief on a large scale (similar to a class action lawsuit) for those who sign up.”

The terms of use for Gen Digital’s websites contain both a class action waiver and an arbitration clause requiring visitors to resolve disputes through arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution that takes place outside of court before a neutral arbitrator, as opposed to a judge or jury. It’s for this reason that attorneys working with ClassAction.org have decided to handle this matter as a mass arbitration rather than a class action lawsuit.

How Much Does This Cost?

It costs nothing to sign up, and you’ll only need to pay if the attorneys win money on your behalf. Their payment will come as a percentage of your award.

If they don’t win your claim, you don’t pay.

How Much Money Could I Get?

There are no guarantees as to how much money you could get or whether your claim will be successful. However, certain state and federal privacy laws provide that consumers whose rights were violated may be owed anywhere from $100 to thousands of dollars.

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