US Retail Brands Face Lawsuit Over Alleged Tracking Of Users After Cookie Rejection

A group of online shoppers in the United States has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Premium Brands Opco LLC, the parent company of clothing retailers Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant, alleging that the company continued tracking users’ online activity even after they opted out of non-essential cookies.

The lawsuit was filed before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and accuses the retailer of violating consumer privacy rights through hidden data collection practices. According to the complaint, users visiting the retailers’ websites were shown cookie consent banners offering options to reject tracking technologies. However, the plaintiffs claim that third-party tracking tools allegedly remained active despite users disabling non-essential cookies.

The complaint names several technology companies, including Google Analytics, TikTok, Adobe, Salesforce, Snapchat and Pinterest, alleging that they received browsing and user activity data from the websites.

The plaintiffs alleged violations of privacy rights, intrusion upon seclusion, fraud, unjust enrichment, and breaches of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, including unlawful wiretapping and use of pen registers. The proposed class includes California users who rejected non-essential cookies while browsing the websites.

The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, claiming the company acted in conscious disregard of users’ privacy choices.