A major US financial institution is facing a lawsuit alleging that it secretly intercepts the online communications of its website visitors through embedded tracking technologies. Plaintiff Franceska Herrera filed the legal complaint against Citigroup Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
According to the complaint, the financial services firm deployed third-party tracking pixels capable of capturing users' page navigations, searches, and content interests in real time. The suit claims these actions occurred without adequate notice or user consent, supporting commercial goals such as behavioral profiling and targeted advertising monetization.
The legal filing states that the plaintiff navigated the website unaware that third parties were permitted to intercept communications and reveal personal searches and content interests. The complaint alleges Citigroup intentionally deploys these technologies for cross-session behavioral profiling, audience measurement, audience segmentation, and the monetization of browsing activity.
The lawsuit accuses Citigroup of multiple legal violations, including:
- California Invasion of Privacy Act
- Federal Wiretap Act
- California Constitution
- Unfair Competition Law
- Unjust enrichment and intrusion upon seclusion
The plaintiff is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, alongside statutory, punitive, compensatory, and nominal damages. Similar privacy lawsuits involving pixel-tracking technologies have previously targeted other prominent entities, including Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, Hilton, and LinkedIn.
