Matthew J. Langley of Almeida Law Group, LLC has been appointed as interim Co-Lead Class Counsel alongside Arun Ravindran of Hedin, LLP in a consolidated class action lawsuit against FurtherEd, Inc., operating as Lawline. This case is significant as it falls under the purview of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a federal statute protecting consumers’ privacy concerning video rental and viewing history. Lawline is the leading provider of online continuing legal education, and 160,000 users are registered for Lawline services. The plaintiffs allege that FurtherEd’s business practices infringed on these protections by offering sensitive data to third-party actors for profit, leading to potential consumer harm. 

The VPPA, enacted in 1988, has become increasingly relevant with the rise of digital media, as it restricts companies from disclosing personally identifiable information (PII) of consumers’ viewing habits without consent. Violations can place consumers at risk of unauthorized data exposure and misuse of private viewing history, which is highly sensitive information. For consumers, this case represents a critical stand for digital privacy, emphasizing the protection of personal data in the digital age.

This consolidated approach aims to streamline litigation and ensure efficient case management by centralizing filings and proceedings. Langley’s extensive experience in class actions and expertise in digital privacy law, including VPPA cases, position him to advocate effectively on behalf of affected consumers. The case, captioned Jolly v. FurtherEd, Inc., and assigned case number 1:24-cv-06401-LJL, is currently pending in the Southern District of New York under Judge Lewis J. Liman.

Magistrate Judge Waldor appointed David S. Almeida of Almeida Law Group LLC, Blake Yagman of Sterlington PLLC and Joseph J. DePalma of Lite DePalma Greenberg & Afanador LLC as Interim Co-Lead Class Counsel. The Court’s December 17, 2024 Order provides that Interim Co-Lead Class Counsel shall be responsible for, among other things, coordination of all pre-trial activities, conducting discovery on behalf of Plaintiffs consistent with the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26, supervising the work of all Plaintiffs’ counsel and conducting settlement negotiations. Interim Co-Lead counsel will file a Consolidated Complaint under the new caption by January 17, 2025.