Judge refuses to dismiss Zynga privacy suit
Plaintiff alleges fraudulent charges of $165 for herbal supplements
Zynga's request for a dismissal of a class action lawsuit filed against it for privacy violations has been denied.
Lead plaintiff Rebecca Swift claimed in December that ads on Facebook for free Zynga games virtual currency had led to unauthorised payments.
Despite attempts to cancel a free trial for a green tea-based herbal supplement, which she joined in order to obtain additional 'YoCash', Swift alleges to have been charged $165 as a result of providing her phone and credit card details.
Zynga had requested that the case be dismissed because, it claimed, the fault lay with the advertiser. US district judge Sandra Armstrong refused the request, reports Courthouse News, stating that Swift had "sufficiently alleged Zynga's role in the fraudulent scheme."
The judge explained that "The lure of virtual currency is the most important 'content' within the special offer because, without it, it is unlikely any user would ever participate in the offers."
The FarmVille maker is currently facing a second suit concerning the alleged sharing of 218 million Facebook user IDs with third-party firms, filed last month.