WWF Removes Privacy Lawsuit, Says It's ‘Near Duplicate’ of Others Filed by Same Attorney

The World Wildlife Fund removed to U.S. District Court for Central California in Los Angeles from California Superior Court a June 21 complaint in which plaintiff Sonya Valenzuela alleges WWF invaded her privacy with its use of FullContact software “to record and deanonymize” internet protocol addresses when she used WWF’s website chat function, said its notice of removal Thursday (docket 2:23-cv-06112). Valenzuela’s lawsuit is “a near duplicate of other complaints” filed by her lawyer, Scott Ferrell of Pacific Trial Attorneys, said the notice. It alleges “nothing more than generalized conclusory assertions of an invasion of privacy,” it said. Valenzuela alleges WWF’s use of the FullContact software violates the California Unauthorized Access to Computer Data Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act, it said. She also brings common law and constitutional claims for invasion of privacy, it said: “WWF believes these claims are meritless.” Valenzuela’s complaint alleges she visited WWF’s website this spring, and that without her knowledge or consent, WWF used the FullContact code to access her device to “extract personal data” and expose her identity. WWF’s “actions are offensive and unlawful and must be stopped,” said the complaint.