Background: This class action is brought on behalf of users of the mobile messenger app, LINE Messenger, and photo altering app, B612. It concerns allegations that the Defendants, who market and operate these apps, surreptitiously collected users’ personal information without consent. As alleged, the personal information Defendants impermissibly collected includes users’ biometric information, i.e. their face geometry scans, and material portions of users’ messages, i.e., videos and URLs shared, and certain keywords within the messages. Plaintiffs further allege that Defendants embedded the China-based SenseTime software development kid (“SDK”) within both apps to collect users’ biometric information and that Defendants transfer B612 users’ personal information to non-secure servers in China and Hong Kong, where, pursuant to Chinese law and corporate practice, it is available to the Chinese Communist Party.

BFA’s Role: BFA is acting as co-lead counsel representing the class of users of the LINE Messenger and B612 apps.

Status: Plaintiffs filed their First Amended Class Action Complaint on October 28, 2022. On October 3, 2023, Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. largely denied Defendants’ motion to dismiss.