Facebook Suit Over Subscriber Tracking Seeks $15 Billion

Facebook was sued for $15 billion in an amended complaint by subscribers who claim the company invaded their privacy by tracking their Internet use. In the complaint filed May 17 in federal court in San Jose (CA), the plaintiffs say Facebook improperly tracked users even after they logged out.

Twenty-one cases making similar claims have been consolidated before the court. The latest filing seeks to proceed on behalf of U.S. residents who subscribed to Facebook from May 2010 to September 2011. “This is not just a damages action, but a groundbreaking digital-privacy rights case that could have wide and significant legal and business implications,” David Straite, a partner at Stewarts Law, which represents some of the users, said in an e- mailed statement. Andrew Noyes, a Facebook spokesman, said that the claims are without merit and the company will contest them.