app os , ▁and ▁Over stock , ▁due ▁to ▁priv acy ▁viol ations ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁Facebook ▁Be acon ▁program ▁adding ▁V P PA ▁as ▁a ▁cause ▁of ▁action . ▁The ▁Be acon ▁program ▁resulted ▁in ▁users ' ▁private ▁information , ▁obtained ▁from ▁third - party ▁affili ate ▁market ing ▁websites , ▁being ▁posted ▁on ▁Facebook ▁without ▁consent . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁V P PA ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁basis ▁for ▁lit ig ation ▁of ▁online ▁activities . ▁ ▁Att orney ▁Mal ley , ▁who ▁had ▁successfully ▁file d ▁numerous ▁class ▁actions ▁against ▁ 4 - 5 0 0 + ▁companies ▁using ▁another ▁federal ▁priv acy ▁law , ▁the ▁Driver ▁Priv acy ▁Prote ction ▁Act ▁(" DP PA "), ▁a ▁law ▁that ▁permitted ▁stat ut ory ▁dam ages , ▁sought ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁new ▁method ▁to ▁lit ig ate ▁Internet ▁priv acy ▁cases ▁involving ▁online ▁companies ▁viol ating ▁consumer ' s ▁priv acy , ▁implementing ▁the ▁same ▁case ▁strategy ▁as ▁his ▁D P PA ▁cases . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁form id able ▁task ▁since ▁no ▁law ▁fir ms ▁had ▁lit ig ated ▁cases ▁involving ▁the ▁computer ▁technology ▁inher ent ▁within ▁the ▁exchange ▁of ▁user ▁data ▁between ▁third - party ▁affili ated ▁entities , ▁thus ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁case ▁preced ent , ▁no ▁" blue print " ▁to ▁follow . ▁Ear lier ▁cases , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁double - click ▁" cookie " ▁case , ▁had ▁re lied ▁on ▁using ▁a ▁wire t ap ▁stat ute , ▁the ▁Electron ic ▁Communic