Class action says media companies deploy 'zombie cookies'
Wed Jul 28, 2010 @ 10:43AM PSTBy Eriq Gardner
Some top entertainment companies are being accused of secretly spying on the online habits of their website users.
A new class action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in California targets NBC Universal, MTV Networks, Hulu, JibJab Media, MySpace, ABC, ESPN, and Scribd.
The individual plaintiffs accuse the media companies of using Flash cookies to "respawn" deleted HTTP cookies. In other words, even if Internet users clear their Internet browsers of data files tracking a user's web surfing, the companies allegedly can harvest consumers' personal information anyway.
Many websites place "cookies" on visitors' computers so as to gather information for advertising purposes. The class action asserts that the companies fail to disclose the use of so-called "zombie cookies" in their privacy policies.
The 119-page complaint quotes George Orwell and demands unspecified monetary damages.
Filed Under Privacy
Web/Tech
|
Comments (View)
|
