Lieff Cabraser represents plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit alleging that Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, violated privacy laws by obtaining users’ protected personal information from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, including names, disability information, and e-mail addresses, as well as confidential communications.

The complaint explains that Meta does this through the implementation of a ubiquitous but hidden tracking code known as the Meta “Pixel,” which sends Meta time-stamped, personally-identifiable records of users’ personal information, activities and communications on the California DMV website. Through the Pixel’s surveillance, the complaint alleges that Meta obtained vast quantities of private data from the DMV on a daily basis between February 22, 2020 and August 25, 2023, including the first names of users who click into their “MyDMV” portal page; the identities of persons with disabilities who start disabled parking placard applications on the DMV website; e-mail addresses belonging to users who check the status of pending applications; and the personally identifying contents of communications between users and the DMV.

The plaintiffs are seeking class certification on behalf of individuals who used their online MyDMV Accounts for transactions such as renewing their address or license, and individuals who hold disabled person parking placard and applied for or renewed them on the DMV website prior to August 25, 2023.

The suit alleges that Meta’s collection of personal information violates DMV website users’ privacy rights under the Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act. Contact us today using the form on this page to learn more about your rights or on being more involved.

Lieff Cabraser’s Privacy & Cybersecurity practice group is a nationally-recognized leader in the pursuit of preserving people’s privacy against the pervasive intrusions of digital technology into all aspects of our daily lives. We have a proven track record of successfully taking on the powerhouses of Big Data and social media. Lieff Cabraser’s Privacy & Cybersecurity practice group was selected as a 2024 “Practice Group of the Year for Cybersecurity and Privacy” by Law360. Earlier honors include the National Law Journal’s 2019 Elite Trial Lawyers award for privacy and data breach litigation, and Law360’s 2017 Data Privacy Practice Group of the Year.