Shopify sued for improper collection of user data! Demands compensation for economic losses

It is learned that according to foreign media reports, Shopify was recently sued by a consumer in California, USA, accusing it of using improper means to collect consumer data and secretly tracking consumers' online footprints. This behavior violated the state constitution, state law and consumer rights protection law.

The lawsuit alleges that Shopify provides guidance documents to its platform merchants describing how to use Shopify code to integrate payment forms into sellers' websites and apps, including how to hide the Shopify brand so that consumers think the form is provided by the seller.

The consumer said that consumers who shop on Shopify merchant websites generally believe that by filling out this information they are communicating directly with the merchant and only with the merchant, and are unaware that Shopify is collecting, storing and evaluating their personal information.

The personally identifiable information obtained by Shopify reportedly includes customer names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, credit card information, IP addresses, the type of browser used, and information about items purchased from merchant websites.

In addition, the complaint alleges that Shopify’s software code also surreptitiously installs tracking cookies on consumers’ computers and mobile devices, which enables Shopify to identify specific consumers and track their movements throughout merchant websites, thereby collecting additional data, such as the number of declined cards used at Shopify merchants and how long ago a consumer’s card was last declined.

In the complaint, the consumers raised several claims for invasion of privacy and violations of the California Computer Data Access and Fraud Act and the Unfair Competition Act, seeking compensation from Shopify for related losses.

Editor ✎ Xiao Zhu/

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