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Amazon sued for data tracking in Netherlands
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By Nithya Bose in US business news, posted October 19, 2023
A Dutch consumer-rights group has sued Amazon for allegedly tracking website visitors' online activities without their consent.
The Stichting Data Bescherming Nederland (SDBN) says the practice infringes European Union privacy laws.
This class-action suit represents approximately five million Amazon account holders in the Netherlands.
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The complaint seeks damages for affected consumers and a court order to cease Amazon's data-tracking practices.
The legal action is made possible by recently expanded EU provisions allowing for class-action lawsuits.
The case mirrors a 2021 regulatory penalty Amazon faced from Luxembourg's privacy regulator.
The company faced a $887 million fine for using personal data in advertising.
Amazon is currently appealing this action.
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Anouk Ruhaak, chair of SDBN, said: “We hope by adding to the pressure, Amazon will at some point realize it’s too costly to keep doing what it’s doing.”
An Amazon spokesperson said, “We disagree with these claims, and we will defend ourselves through the legal process.
“Maintaining the privacy and security of our customers’ information is a top priority and Amazon follows all legal requirements in the countries and regions where we operate.”
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This lawsuit comes on the heels of SDBN's legal action against X (formerly known as Twitter) in a Dutch court.
The case focuses on the collection of consumer data for targeted advertising.
The EU's law, effective since June, requires member nations to enact legislation that will allow consumer groups to bring class-action cases against companies for infringing privacy laws.
Clearview AI, a US software company, recently won an appeal against a £9.1 million fine imposed by the UK's privacy watchdog.
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The Amazon lawsuit alleges that the company collects personal data from cookies tracking user behavior on its platform and other websites.
The company uses this information for targeted advertising.
Ruhaak said: “We want Amazon to stop collecting data in this way and using data in this way. What that means is, basically, don’t follow me around.”
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