Spokeo Faces New Privacy, IP Suit Over Personal Data Sales

Data broker Spokeo Inc. violates the privacy and publicity rights of Alabama residents whose personal information is featured on its people search website and sold to customers, a federal lawsuit filed in California said.

The company provides searchable profiles of individuals containing information about their relatives, home address, phone number, and more, according to the complaint in the US District Court for the Central District of California, where Spokeo is headquartered.

The proposed class action follows an August 2022 court ruling that rejected Spokeo’s bid to dismiss a similar case alleging violations of various state “right of publicity” laws—a type ...