SACRAMENTO, Calif.— PNC Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo have each been hit with separate proposed class-action lawsuits alleging they improperly shared sensitive financial data from website visitors with third parties without consent, according to Bloomberg Law.
The suits, filed in California, claim the banks used tracking technologies on their websites that allowed outside companies to collect information tied to consumers’ online activity, potentially creating new privacy and litigation exposure for financial institutions.
According to Bloomberg Law, the complaints allege the banks’ websites transmitted data to third parties including The Trade Desk, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Snap. Plaintiffs claim the data included URLs and browsing activity that could reveal consumers’ financial circumstances and debt-related research interests, and that the sharing violated California privacy laws.
For banks and credit unions, the new cases add to a growing line of litigation targeting so-called “pixel” and web-tracking tools, particularly in California, where plaintiffs have increasingly challenged the use of third-party analytics and advertising technologies on sites handling sensitive consumer data. Legal observers have warned that financial institutions are becoming a larger target for these claims as plaintiffs test whether traditional website analytics practices can trigger privacy liability when used in online banking or loan-shopping contexts.
Bloomberg Law noted the three cases were filed as separate proposed class actions.