Gather, a free app designed to allow users to create event invitations and send them to their contacts has been hit with a proposed TCPA class action suit. The named plaintiff alleges that Gather tricks users into giving Gather their contacts and then uses the contact information to send unsolicited texts to their contacts without express written consent, which is in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The Complaint further alleges that Gather intentionally misleads users when asking for access to their contact information.

The named plaintiff is requesting that Gather stop texting people without their consent, be barred from using automated dialers and statutory damages of at least $500 per text.

I often lament that I no longer use Waze as it requested access to all of my contacts when I downloaded it, and I refused to allow that access. This case is a reminder about what access you want an app to have and how it may affect others.