Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating whether John Deere & Company improperly collected, used, shared, or monetized farmers’ operational and agronomic data through the John Deere Operations Center and JDLink platform without adequately disclosing how that information would be used.
What Farmers Report
Farmers report:
- Purchasing John Deere equipment equipped with JDLink or Operations Center connectivity.
- Uploading planting, harvesting, yield, soil, and equipment performance data to Deere’s cloud platform.
- Being told they retained ownership of their farm data.
- Discovering that operational data may be analyzed or shared beyond equipment support.
- Having limited ability to determine how their information is used after collection.
- Feeling they were not provided meaningful choices regarding data sharing or commercialization.
Why Farmers Should Be Concerned
Modern precision agriculture systems collect enormous amounts of valuable information, including planting dates, yield maps, fertilizer applications, equipment locations, fuel usage, field boundaries, and operational practices. This information may reveal a farm’s productivity, business strategy, and future crop potential. Farmers allege that while they are told they “own” their data, they may not receive clear disclosures regarding how that information is collected, analyzed, licensed, or shared with third parties.
Potential Claims May Include
- Deceptive trade practices
- Consumer protection violations
- Breach of contract
- Breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing
- Failure to adequately disclose data practices
- Unjust enrichment
Signs You May Be Affected
You may be affected if:
- You use John Deere Operations Center or JDLink.
- Your equipment automatically uploads operational data.
- You believed your farm data would remain under your control.
- You were not clearly informed how your information could be shared or commercialized.
- You believe your operational data has value beyond equipment diagnostics.
If you have encountered these issues, we would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call at (202) 470-3520.