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Months after settling with the government over claims it secretly installed software on leased products to monitor and collect data on customers, Atlanta-based Aaron’s faces a lawsuit over similar allegations.
Colorado lawyers Michael Peterson and Matthew Lyons filed an invasion of privacy suit Thursday in federal court in Atlanta.
They claim Aaron’s and a franchisee secretly collected thousands of screen shots of personal data and kept key-stroke logs, all taken from computers the plaintiffs leased from Aaron’s and its affiliate Aspen Way Enterprises of Fort Collins, Colo.
An attorney for the lawyers told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the screen shots and logs were revealed during the discovery phase of another lawsuit targeting Aaron’s and Aspen. The earlier suit was filed in 2011 by a Wyoming couple who claim similar invasion of privacy on rented laptops.
Aaron’s spokeswoman Garet Hayes said the company does not comment on pending litigation.
At the center of the lawsuits and FTC complaint is special software that can take screenshots of confidential and personal information, log customers’ keystrokes and in some cases take webcam pictures of people in their homes, all without the customers’ knowledge. Aaron’s said none of its corporate-owned stores have used the DesignerWare software, called PC Rental Agent, which is marketed as a tool to help manage computer rentals.
In their lawsuit, the Colorado lawyers claim Aaron’s obtained credit and debit card numbers, security codes, PIN numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, tax returns, employee records and other sensitive data. Peterson and Lyons are seeking class-action status for their suit.
In their 2011 lawsuit against Aaron’s and Aspen, Crystal and Bryan Byrd of Casper, Wyo., claimed a store manager showed the couple a picture of the husband using the computer at home. Their suit is still pending.
As part of its settlement with the FTC, Aaron’s is prohibited from using monitoring technology except to provide technical support requested by the consumer.
“Aaron’s Inc. continues to comply with the FTC Consent Order and is working to implement any and all actions required by the agreement,” the company said.
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