Compliance Management, Network Security, Privacy

Facebook privacy suit nixed, can track user online activity after log out

A lawsuit against Facebook for tracking the internet activity of users was tossed Friday by a federal district judge who said the plaintiffs not only didn't show harm but also didn't prove a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Judge Edward Davila said the plaintiffs, who contended the social media website violated both federal and California laws governing privacy and wiretapping by using cookies to track their visits to other websites, could have protected their browsing histories.

“The fact that a user's web browser automatically sends the same information to both parties, does not establish that one party intercepted the user's communication with the other”, the judge said in his decision, Reuters reported. “Facebook's intrusion could have easily been blocked, but plaintiffs chose not to do so.” 

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