Class action lawsuit claims Costco shared members’ personal information
Issaquah-based Costco is facing a class action lawsuit over claims it shared members’ personal data.
The lawsuit filed on Friday says the local chain used online tracking technologies like Meta Pixel, a Javascript code that allows companies to track online activity, to provide personal and health information to third parties, including Meta, the owner of Facebook. Costco shoppers who talked with KIRO 7 said they’re not surprised.
“That happens quite frequently with all kinds of corporations and companies,” said Don Davis.
Jane Matteson added, “I object to it but then on the other hand I do a lot of online shopping.”
The lawsuit claims that Costco put the tracker on its website, and when users went to its pharmacy pages and did things such as ordering a new prescription, refilling a current one, or asking about a vaccine, that information was collected and shared, without their knowledge, with Meta.
In many cases, such actions included sensitive personal information.
The information gathered through Pixel is routinely used to “build profiles for the purpose of future targeting and marketing,” the suit states.
We’ve reached out to Costco for comment but haven’t heard back.
