Reader’s Digest, owned by Trusted Media, was hit with a class action in New York federal court alleging that the magazine sells its subscribers’ personal information, including names, addresses, and demographic information, to data miners without any consent, in violation of the Michigan’s Preservation of Personal Privacy Act. Class representative, Shannon Taylor (Taylor), claims that she received unwanted junk mail and telephone solicitations. The complaint states, “In addition to causing waste and inconvenience, direct-mail advertisers often use consumer information to lure unsuspecting consumers into various scams, including fraudulent sweepstakes, charities, and buying clubs.” The magazine allegedly allows third parties to buy mailing lists and send out these unwanted advertisements. Taylor claims that Reader’s Digest will sell its subscribers’ personal information “to anyone willing to pay for it.”
Subscribers are not required to read or agree to any terms of service, privacy policy or information-sharing policy. In addition to privacy violations, the class action asserts a claim for unjust enrichment.