Federal Lawsuit Filed Seeking to Protect Mobile App Users’ Privacy Rights

March 13, 2012 - PRLog -- AUSTIN, TEXAS (SXSW)—A consortium of Texas attorneys announced today that a federal class action lawsuit has been filed in Austin, Texas that seeks to protect the privacy rights of mobile App users nationwide.  The lawsuit contends that some of today’s biggest technology, interactive, social networking and gaming companies have used mobile Apps that pose as video games or photo-sharing or networking services to secretly take mobile phone and tablet computer owners’ private Address Book Data.
“Privacy is a fundamental American right,” said plaintiffs’ lead counsel Jeff Edwards.  “It does not take a back seat to technology or cease to exist whenever someone wishes to enjoy a video game or some other App on his or her wireless mobile phone.”  Noted co-counsel Carl Schwenker, “Unfortunately, it appears that a number of companies in the mobile App industry have put their own growth and profit above their customers’ privacy interests.”

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (Austin Division), alleges numerous violations of state and federal laws and seeks injunctive relief and recoveries for a class of iPhone, iPad, iPod and Android wireless mobile device owners whose private Address Book Data was taken and used without their prior permission.  “We hope that these mobile App companies and the App distributors will recognize the inherent value in protecting and respecting their customers’ privacy,” Attorney Dirk Jordan of the Jordan Law Firm commented, “and will move swiftly to redress the harm to their customers and resolve this matter.”  The case is identified as Opperman, et al., v. Path, Inc., Twitter, Inc., Apple, Inc., et al., Case no. 12-00219 (W.D. Tex. 2012).

About the Firms
The Edwards Law Firm, the Law Offices of Carl F. Schwenker and the Jordan Law Firm are independent legal offices located in Austin, Texas.  Principals in these firms have handled and consulted on numerous complex disputes, civil rights issues, and technology, business and intellectual property matters and have peer review AV® Preeminent ratings from Martindale-Hubble.  Mr. Edwards has been recognized as a 2011 Super Lawyer® by Texas Monthly Magazine and previously served as the Board President of Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas and President of the Austin Young Lawyers Association.  Mr. Jordan currently serves as an adjunct professor with the University of Texas School of Law in its Trial Advocacy program and is a founding member of the Austin Bar Foundation.  Additional information is available at www.edwards-law.com and www.dirkjordan.com .

Media Contact:
Callie Haley
The Edwards Law Firm
callie@edwards-law.com
(512) 623-7727