Dynamic Accident Lawyers: Cert. Sought in Twitter Privacy Class Action Lawsuit

Last week, the plaintiff in the class action lawsuit alleging Twitter Inc., an online social media service, illegally eavesdropped on its users filed a motion seeking certification of the proposed Class of millions of users.

Lead plaintiff Wilford Raney filed the Twitter class action lawsuit in California federal court in September of this year, alleging that Twitter intercepts users’ messages, reads them, and edits the hyperlinks contained in the direct messages and replaces the hyperlinks with their own custom links.

According to the Twitter privacy class action lawsuit, this practice increases Twitter’s perceived value to third-party websites for increased referral traffic. This alleged interception of messages also allegedly benefits Twitter’s advertising rates for the company by allowing Twitter to charge a premium for being perceived as having an increased presence within electronic media.

According to Raney’s motion to certify the Twitter class action lawsuit, millions of users were potentially affected by Twitter’s practice of intercepting supposedly private messages as well as their failure to obtain users’ consent before scanning their messages. Raney further argues in his motion that the class action lawsuit is appropriate because it will determine whether Twitter’s privacy policies regarding its users’ messages is fair and each user would be treated the same.

“The problem — and what triggered this lawsuit — is that Twitter users are never informed of (and thus could not possibly give consent to) Twitter’s practice of intercepting, reading and altering their private direct messages,” Raney says in his motion seeking certification of the Twitter class action lawsuit. “Plaintiff therefore alleges that Twitter is violating millions of individuals’ privacy rights.”

Raney argues in his motion that certifying the Twitter privacy class action lawsuit was appropriate because it would settle the questions of “whether Twitter obtained the requisite consent from its users to intercept, read and often alter their private direct messages.”

“Courts squarely reject arguments that each member of a class must prove his or her own interpretation or understanding of a privacy policy. … If Twitter’s privacy policy fell short of obtaining consent from plaintiff, it likewise fell short of obtaining consent from every other member of both classes,” Raney argues.

In his motion, Raney also points out that ascertaining the Class should not pose a problem because Twitter’s database can easily identify each direct message receiver and sender, and also keeps a record of users’ account accounts.

The class action lawsuit alleges that Twitter’s screening practice violates the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). The class action lawsuit also brings a claim under common law for intrusion upon seclusion.

Punitive damages along with $5,000 in statutory damages for each Class Member under the CIPA and at least $10,000 per Class Member under the ECPA are sought, according to the class action lawsuit.

Raney is represented by Samuel M. Lasser, Rafey S. Balabanian, Alexander T.H. Nguyen and Amir C. Missaghi of Edelson PC.

The Twitter Privacy Class Action Lawsuit is Wilford Raney, et al. v. Twitter Inc., Case No. 3:15-cv-04191, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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