Summary: A class action lawsuit was filed against Google, LLC on August 17, 2023, by plaintiffs Malissa Adams, Tracylyn Patterson, Cary Goldberg, Tyisha Sheppeard, Teresa Wright, Rheazene Taylor, Tiffany Layton, Jamila Armstrong, and Monica Townsend. The plaintiffs accuse Google of wiretapping electronic communications on major online tax filing platforms such as H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer. This alleged wiretapping was facilitated by Google Analytics' tracking pixel, embedded within the JavaScript of these websites. The lawsuit alleges that Google involuntarily collected and transmitted sensitive financial data, including income details, refund amounts, filing status, and scholarship information, to bolster its advertising business. This data collection is purported to fuel Google's advertising algorithms, enabling the measurement of ad campaign performance, understanding user behavior, and building targeted audiences for future ads. The plaintiffs contend that this extensive data collection and tracking infringes upon users' privacy rights and constitutes a breach of privacy, as it is conducted without explicit user consent. They further allege that Google violated the Internal Revenue Code, which forbids tax return preparers from disclosing any information provided for the preparation of a return without the taxpayer's consent. The lawsuit also asserts that Google violated the California Invasion of Privacy Act (Cal. Penal Code § 631, § 632, and § 635) by intercepting and disclosing their electronic communications using tracking pixels and other business tools without their consent. The plaintiffs aim to represent a nationwide class of all individuals in the United States who utilized these online tax preparation services while the Google pixel was active on their websites. They also seek to represent subclasses in California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas. They are pursuing all relief available under Cal. Penal Code § 637.2, including injunctive relief and statutory damages of $5,000 per violation. They also assert that Google's actions constitute a violation of Cal. Penal Code § 632, which forbids the use of electronic devices to eavesdrop on or record confidential communications without the consent of all parties. They are seeking damages for these alleged violations as well. The plaintiffs are represented by the law firm George Feldman McDonald, PLLC.