Meta Pixel Lands Udemy, 2U/edX, and Coursera in Privacy Lawsuit Crosshairs
Annual Reports uncover class action lawsuits against online course giants.
2U finally released their annual report, or 10-K, last week. While reading through it, I noticed they mentioned a class action lawsuit against edX.
This looked very similar to the one that Coursera mentioned in their annual report, which I wrote about last week. Intrigued, I rushed to search through Udemy’s annual report, and there it was—another lawsuit!
Upon further research, I discovered that these kinds of class action suits go beyond online course providers and extend to many video platforms.
The Culprit: Facebook / Meta Pixel
The common thread among these lawsuits is the Facebook / Meta Pixel. It’s a small piece of code that many websites use to track user behavior, optimize advertising, and share data with Meta. Class Central had previously analyzed how closely the top online course platforms are tracking learners.
What’s the Lawsuit About?
The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a federal law enacted in 1988, is at the heart of these legal battles. Originally designed to safeguard the confidentiality of video rental records, the VPPA prohibits “video tape service providers” from sharing personally identifiable information about a consumer’s viewing habits without written consent.
The lawsuits hinge on whether online platforms with video content qualify as “video tape service providers” under the law. Plaintiffs argue that the use of tracking technologies, such as Meta Pixel, to monitor video consumption and share data with Meta amounts to a violation of the VPPA—even though the law predates these technologies.
Bloomberg Law reported that in October 2022, more than 50 such class action lawsuits were filed. A notable case against the Boston Globe, which was settled for $5 million, centered on allegations that the newspaper’s integration of Meta Pixel for tracking video views on their website violated the VPPA.
Online Course Giants Targeted
| Platform | Class Action Filed On |
| Udemy | Dec 2022 |
| edX/2U | Oct 2023 |
| Coursera | Nov 2023 |
The lawsuits against Udemy, edX, and Coursera share similar allegations. In each case, the plaintiffs claim that the companies disclosed users’ video viewing history and other personal information to third parties, such as Facebook or advertisers, without obtaining proper consent from the users. The plaintiffs seek various forms of relief, including injunctive relief (i.e. putting an end to the alleged infringements), monetary damages, and attorney fees.
Udemy, edX, and Coursera have all stated their intention to vigorously defend themselves against these claims. They have filed motions to dismiss the complaints or compel arbitration in some cases.
I wouldn’t be surprised if other course providers have also been targeted in a similar fashion.
aylefka
Hello, I’m writing here to share my experience with Coursera. In December, I decided to start a data analytics course recommended by Google for certification. A few weeks later, I decided to cancel it because I couldn’t continue. I canceled the subscription through the website, and in January, I noticed a $49 charge. I found this strange, so I checked my personal account to confirm that the membership was canceled, which it indeed showed as inactive and canceled since December 27.
I filed a complaint via email using the address provided in the app, as it is difficult to find help on their website. I attached a photo of the charges and explained that I wanted to know why they were still charging me and requested a refund, as I had canceled the course following their instructions on the website. Unfortunately, I never received a response, and the next month, they charged me again.
This happened for seven months, totaling $343 since December. Finally, I had to contact my bank to report fraud. They told me there was nothing they could do and advised me to get a new debit card to stop further charges. I had to follow their advice, and now I’m waiting for my new card, hoping that the charges will stop.
If you’re reading this, I warn you not to pay for these courses, because if you don’t regularly check your bank accounts, they can keep charging you indefinitely. I regret not taking action sooner and allowing Coursera to take so much money from me while I waited for a response from them.
In my search for how to file a claim, I found that Coursera has a lawsuit in California for a similar issue. I am trying to contact those people to join the lawsuit and help prevent others from going through the same situation.
Do not subscribe to Coursera; it’s a scam. Google, Forbes, and other sponsors should stop recommending these fraudulent courses. If anyone knows how to file a lawsuit, I am open to contacting. I am in Chicago, IL.
Vignesh
Udemy is worst app with no customer service available
I have lost my account and I don’t receive email notifications so I tried to contact udemy support but this is waste of time I have provided my purchased course details to recover my account but the problem is not solved yet