Three online shoppers have filed a federal class action lawsuit against the discount e-commerce platform Woot.com, alleging the company secretly collected and shared their personal browsing data with third-party advertisers without proper consent.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, names Austin Roth, Brandon Rose, and Alexander Fonseca as lead plaintiffs seeking to represent a nationwide class of affected consumers. The complaint alleges violations of multiple federal and state privacy laws through the retailer’s deployment of website tracking technologies.
According to the filing, Woot.com embedded cookies, pixels, and similar tracking tools that activate immediately upon a user’s arrival to the website, before any opportunity to opt out is provided. These trackers allegedly capture extensive data about browsing behavior, including specific URLs visited, products viewed or purchased, buttons clicked, and the complete sequence of steps taken during each browsing session.
The tracking tools also collect technical information such as IP addresses, browser types, device characteristics, and approximate geographic locations. The plaintiffs claim this data is then transmitted to third parties, including Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
A key component of the alleged tracking system is the Meta Pixel, a code snippet that monitors user behavior and transmits that information back to Meta’s servers. The plaintiffs assert that Woot implemented these tracking tools in a manner that enables Meta to match website activity with individual Facebook accounts, creating detailed user profiles for targeted advertising purposes.
The lawsuit states that at no point during the sign-up process or elsewhere on the website does the platform seek or obtain adequate consent for sharing users’ sensitive information. The data-sharing arrangement allegedly enables highly targeted advertising through Meta’s custom audiences feature, which categorizes users based on interests, behaviors, and demographic information.
The plaintiffs argue these practices may violate the federal Video Privacy Protection Act, particularly given Woot’s sale of video games containing prerecorded audiovisual content. By tracking titles viewed or purchased and combining that data with personal identifiers such as Facebook IDs, the company allegedly disclosed protected viewing information unlawfully.
Roth specifically claims he purchased the video game Pokemon Scarlet through the platform and subsequently received targeted advertisements related to his browsing activity. The other plaintiffs report similar experiences with targeted advertising following their interactions with the website.
Additional allegations include violations of the federal Wiretap Act, with plaintiffs arguing the tracking tools function as interception devices by capturing users’ electronic communications in real time. The complaint also cites violations of state laws, including the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the Florida Security of Communications Act, which prohibit unauthorized interception of electronic communications without consent from all parties involved.
The plaintiffs maintain that Woot’s data-sharing practices constitute a significant invasion of privacy, arguing that users have a reasonable expectation that their online activity would not be subject to undisclosed surveillance. The California statute referenced in the complaint notes that advances in eavesdropping technology pose a serious threat to personal liberties that cannot be tolerated in a free society.
The legal action seeks class certification, damages exceeding five million dollars, and a court order requiring Woot to remove or modify its tracking technologies. The plaintiffs are represented by Kim D. Stephens and Rebecca L. Solomon of Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC.
Neither Woot.com nor Meta Platforms Inc. had responded to requests for comment at the time of filing. The case highlights ongoing concerns about digital privacy and the extent to which online retailers can track and share user data without explicit consent.
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