On March 31, 2025, Judge Eumi K. Lee of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued a decision in Edwards v. MUBI, Inc., No. 5:24-cv-00638-EKL, partially denying MUBI’s motion to dismiss a class action complaint alleging serious digital privacy violations.

By their Amended Complaint, Plaintiffs, represented by the Almeida Law Group LLC, Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise LLP, Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC, Bursor & Fisher P.A., and Zimmerman Reed LLP, allege that MUBI, a subscription-based online film platform, embedded tracking pixels on its website that secretly transmitted users’ video viewing and Facebook IDs to Meta and other third parties—without their consent. 

In denying Mubi’s motion to dismiss, in part, Judge Lee ruled that plaintiffs plausibly alleged violations of both the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) and California Civil Code § 1799.3, finding that MUBI users’ personally identifiable video viewing data was improperly disclosed. The court held that MUBI’s arguments about user consent—based on so-called “sign-in wrap” terms—failed due to inadequate and inconspicuous notice.

We are proud to represent Plaintiffs in this important case and excited to, along with co-counse, move this case forward. This decision underscores the need for digital platforms to be transparent about their data collection, use and disclosure practices as well as to obtain users’ informed consent. At ALG, we remain dedicated to enforcing consumer privacy rights and holding companies accountable for their data security and privacy failings.