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Shopify Can Be Sued in California Courts, Public Citizen Argues in Ninth Circuit

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, will hear arguments in a case that raises the  question whether e-commerce company Shopify can be sued in California on claims that it unlawfully extracted personal data from California shoppers during California-based online retail transactions. The case has major implications for how courts assess jurisdiction over corporate defendants based on claims that arise out of web-based misconduct. Public Citizen Litigation Group attorney Nicolas Sansone will argue the case for the plaintiff. 

The court proceedings in Briskin v. Shopify will be available to watch online here. The oral argument will begin at 9:30 am PT/12:30 pm ET. 

“Companies like Shopify profit enormously from their access to online shoppers and those shoppers’ sensitive personal data,” said Sansone. “But Shopify’s decision to exploit that commercial opportunity carries consequences: where Shopify chooses to profit by pulling vast quantities of consumer data out of California and selling that data to third parties, it must be prepared to submit to the jurisdiction of California’s courts to answer claims that this activity violates California law.”

For more information on the case, or to schedule time to speak with Sansone about the case, contact eleach@citizen.org