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Toyota is the latest company to face a lawsuit over its website’s use of online tracking technology – cookies – highlighting the growing legal risks for businesses that rely on digital marketing and consumer data.
A proposed class action filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses the automaker of continuing to track Toyota.com visitors even after they reject third-party cookies, allegedly in violation of California privacy law.
Lead plaintiff Brittany Conner claims Toyota installed tracking technology on users’ devices even though they opted out of the website’s cookie consent banner.
According to the complaint, the technology allowed third parties to collect browsing activity, device information, online identifiers and other data used for targeted advertising.
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The lawsuit alleges that Toyota installed tracking technology on users’ devices without them opting out of the website’s cookie consent banner. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters, File/Reuters)
The lawsuit alleges that the tracking relies on a practice known as “fingerprinting,” which can identify Internet users by combining information about their devices and browsing activity, even if tracking cookies are rejected.
The Toyota website provides visitors with a consent banner that provides the option to accept or reject cookies and similar tracking technologies. The lawsuit alleges that the company nevertheless used tracking tools after users chose to “opt out.”
| A ticker | Security | Finally | Change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM | Company Toyota MOTOR CORP. | 179.76 | +2.84 |
+1.61% |
The lawsuit comes as businesses in all industries face growing liability under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, or CIPA, a 1967 law originally passed to ban phone typing. However, in recent years, plaintiffs have increasingly used the law to challenge website tracking technologies and other online data collection methods.
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Toyota is the latest company to be sued over its website’s use of online tracking technology. (Terry Pierson/The Press-Enterprise via Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to privacy compliance firm OneTrust, more than 800 CIPA lawsuits were filed in 2025, targeting companies with technology that plaintiffs argue collects consumer data without users’ consent.
Several companies have recently settled similar claims. Forbes Media agreed in May to pay $10 million to settle a proposed “stalking and tracking” class action, while the Los Angeles Times agreed to a $3.85 million settlement.
DraftKings and the NFL have also been sued over the website’s tracking practices.
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Conner is represented by Pacific Trial Attorneys. The company did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
Toyota did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
