STEVENS v. TD BANK, N.A.

CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedJune 27, 2025
Docket1:24-cv-08311
StatusUnknown

This text of STEVENS v. TD BANK, N.A. (STEVENS v. TD BANK, N.A.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
STEVENS v. TD BANK, N.A., (D.N.J. 2025).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY CAMDEN VICINAGE

JEFFREY STEVENS, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated,

Plaintiff, Civil No. 24-8311 (RMB/AMD) v. OPINION TD BANK, N.A.,

Defendant.

APPEARANCES

CARELLA BYRNE CECCHI BRODY & AGNELLO, P.C. James E. Cecchi 5 Becker Farm Road Roseland, New Jersey 07068

Attorney for Plaintiff

BROWN & CONNERY, LLP Susan M. Leming 360 Haddon Avenue Westmont, New Jersey 08108

Attorney for Defendant RENÉE MARIE BUMB, Chief United States District Judge: This matter comes before the Court upon the Motion to Dismiss by Defendant

TD Bank, N.A. (“Defendant” or “TD”) [Motion (Docket No. 18); Def.’s Br. (Docket No. 18-3)] seeking dismissal of the Complaint [Docket No. 1] by Plaintiff Jeffrey Stevens (“Plaintiff” or “Stevens”). Plaintiff has opposed the Motion. [Pl.’s Opp’n (Docket No. 19).] Defendant has filed a reply brief in further support of its Motion. [Def.’s Reply (Docket No. 26).] The parties have also exchanged letters regarding

supplemental authority [Pl.’s Supp. Auth. Ltr. (Docket No. 27); Def.’s Supp. Auth. Ltr. (Docket No. 28)]. The Court has considered the parties’ submissions without oral argument pursuant to Local Civil Rule 78.1(b). For the reasons set forth below, Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss will be GRANTED. Plaintiff’s claims will be DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE and with leave to amend.

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND Plaintiff brings this putative nationwide class action against Defendant alleging that TD utilized certain third-party data tracking technology to improperly collect and disclose his and other customers’ personal financial information to third parties, specifically Meta Platforms, Inc. (“Meta”), without notice or consent.

A. Facebook Tracking Pixel Technology TD operates an online financial services platform at www.td.com, through which its customers can access account information and apply for financial products such as loans and credit cards. According to the Complaint, TD embedded a “hidden tracking code” developed by Meta called the Facebook Tracking Pixel (the “Pixel”) into its website. [Compl. ¶ 3.] The Pixel is a piece of code created by Meta that advertisers like TD can integrate into their websites. [Id. ¶ 16.] The Pixel’s tracking

technology can capture information about users’ interactions with the website, including when logged into secure, authenticated portions of the platform. [Id. ¶¶ 4, 17.] Specifically, Stevens alleges that the Pixel transmits cookies and event data to Meta and that Meta, in turn, uses this information for marketing and advertising purposes. [Id. ¶¶ 4–5, 17.] Advertisers can control the type of data that the Pixel will

collect and how the Pixel identifies website visitors. [Id. ¶¶ 18–19.] When an individual visits TD’s website while logged into Facebook, the Pixel will transmit the “c_user cookie,” which contains the user’s unencrypted Facebook ID, which corresponds to the user’s Facebook profile, and the “fr” and “_fpb cookies”

that also contain the user’s unencrypted Facebook ID, as well as a browser identifier. [Id. ¶¶ 20–21.] TD also discloses to Meta via the Pixel data identifying the user’s web browser, page URLs indicating financial products viewed or applied for, and behavioral data such as button clicks and form interactions. [Id. ¶¶ 24–25.] Stevens contends that this data permitted Meta to identify individual users as TD customers

and to infer the financial services they used or explored. [Id. ¶¶ 23–27, 32; see also Pl.’s Opp’n at 3.] TD allegedly disclosed this information to Meta to improve its marketing efforts, including by enabling Meta to generate “custom audiences” for targeted advertising and to refine its own ad-serving algorithms. [Compl. ¶¶ 3, 22.] According to Stevens, TD profited from Meta’s use of the disclosed data to optimize advertising, while Meta separately benefitted by improving its own data assets and ad services. [Id. ¶¶ 15–16, 22, 27.]

B. Plaintiff’s Use of TD’s Website Plaintiff is a TD customer living in New York and has accessed his TD account through the bank’s website while logged into Facebook. [Compl. ¶ 12.] His “interactions with TD Bank’s online financial platform were disclosed to third parties,

including Meta” without his consent. [Id.] He does not, however, provide any information as to the nature of his interactions with TD’s website or what products, if any, he viewed or applied for. Plaintiff claims that he would have used another bank that paid higher interest if he had known about TD’s data sharing practices. [Id.] C. TD’s Privacy Policies

TD’s website explains that TD “uses cookies and other tracking technologies to provide content and offers that may be relevant to you.” Personalization and Advertising Preferences, TD Bank, https://www.td.com/us/en/personal-banking/online- advertising [https://perma.cc/5HYX-R2VL].1 Users may opt out of certain data tracking and interest-based ads on the website. Id. TD discloses that it may collect

information from users’ devices including “browsing habits on online services

1 The Court may properly consider the contents of TD’s website, including TD’s Privacy Notice because the Complaint expressly relies upon them. See Melzer v. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Civ. A. No. 22-3149 (MAS)(RLS), 2023 WL 3098633, at *1 n.2 (D.N.J. Apr. 26, 2023). provided by us or third parties, such as search terms you entered on our websites, what websites and pages you visit, how long you stay and what actions you take.” Important

Information About Your Privacy, TD Bank, https://www.td.com/us/en/personal- banking/privacy [https://perma.cc/PHH3-SFNJ] (click on “What Information We Collect”). TD’s website further explains that: We may advertise our products and services and personalize content through online services offered by us, our affiliates and third parties that are not affiliated with us, by using cookies, the mobile advertising identifier of your device and other tracking technologies. Some of our advertising partners may collect data from your mobile device, such as your website and app browsing habits and your mobile advertising identifier, and use it for “online behavioral advertising” . . . . Id. (click on “Online Advertising”). The website again discloses that users may opt out of the use of their information by TD’s nonaffiliate ad partners. Id. TD’s Privacy Notice is publicly available on its website. What Do The TD Bank Companies Do With Your Personal Information, TD Bank, https://www.td.com/content/dam/tdb/document/pdf/personal-banking/privacy- shareinformation-en.pdf [https://perma.cc/6QBD-FRSM]. It states that the “TD Bank Companies do not share [customer’s personal information] with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.” [Compl. ¶ 35; Privacy Notice at 2.] The Privacy Notice also discloses that TD shares customer’s personal information for its own “marketing purposes – to offer [TD’s] products and services to [the customer].” [Privacy Notice at 1.] II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY Plaintiff commenced this action on August 6, 2024 by filing a Class Action

Complaint against Defendant on behalf of himself and all individuals similarly situated. Plaintiff seeks to represent a nationwide class of TD customers, as well as subclasses of residents of New York and five other states. [Compl. ¶ 40.] He asserts the following claims: (1) negligence, (2) negligence per se, (3) unjust enrichment, (4) declaratory judgment, (5) breach of confidence, (6) breach of contract, (7) breach

of implied contract, (8) violation of New York General Business Law § 349, and (9) unfair and deceptive trade practices under the laws of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. On November 15, 2024, TD moved to dismiss the Complaint in its entirety.

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