Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Ronsenworcel recently announced a proposed directive to focus the FCC on AI’s burgeoning role in scam calls, particularly those targeting the elderly. The proposal will be presented at the November 15 commission meeting and would direct research into the strengths and weaknesses of generative AI, the role that AI plays
Telephone Consumer Protection Act
Eleventh Circuit Says Invasion-of-Privacy Exclusion Bars Coverage of Class Action Settlement
Last week, the Eleventh Circuit held that an invasion-of-privacy exclusion in an insured’s policy barred coverage and that Liberty Insurance Underwriters Inc. did not have to cover the $60.4 million settlement of a class action against the insured, iCan Benefit Group LLC (iCan), for sending robotexts in alleged violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.…
Supreme Court’s Decision in Facebook Litigation Narrows the Scope of the TCPA
At the beginning of April 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Facebook in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, reversing the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals , holding: “To qualify as an ‘automatic telephone dialing system’ under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a device must have the capacity…
Judge Rejects $4 Million TCPA Settlement
This week, a Pennsylvania federal judge refused to approve a proposed $4 million settlement for violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) because it would provide the 67,000 class members with only $35 each. In the 50-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson said that Flagship Credit Acceptance LLC (Flagship) ought to be able…
Privacy Tip #192 – Combating Robocallers: California AG Hits Scam Telemarketers with $1.5M in Judgments
Like many of you, I don’t answer my cell phone unless the number pops up as someone I know, because a majority of the calls I get are spam or robocalls. It’s so frustrating.
Although these calls are probably a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – the…
Plaintiff Argues GoDaddy Texting Campaign Used an Autodialer
Lead plaintiff, John Herrick, in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action lawsuit against GoDaddy.com LLC (GoDaddy.com) opposed an Arizona federal judge’s May 2018 decision to grant summary judgment in favor of GoDaddy.com. The court granted summary judgment on the grounds that the platform used to send the text messages did not qualify as…
Outcome Health Settles TCPA Class Action Suit
Ever notice the flatscreen TVs and tablets in your doctor’s office that run different health-related and wellness stories? Many of them are provided by Outcome Health, which installs free TVs and tablets in doctor’s offices to provide educational material to patients while they are sitting in the waiting room.
The company makes its money by…
TOPS Software Company Hit with TCPA Class Action
Last week, TOPS Software LLC (TOPS), a software company that specializes in condominium and homeowners association communication platforms, was served with a class action in Illinois federal court which alleges that TOPS violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by using auto dialer technology to solicit consumers to attend the “CAMfire conference.” The CAMfire Conference…
A&B Insurance Settles TCPA Class Action for $4.25 Million
Last week, A&B Insurance and Financial LLC (A&B Insurance) agreed to pay $4.25 million to settle claims that it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by initiating telephone calls to consumers without prior express consent, as required by the TCPA, including some calls to consumers on the federal Do Not Call Registry. Lead plaintiffs,…
Central Payment Co. Settles TCPA Class Action for $6.5 Million
Last week, Georgia federal judge, U.S. District Judge Clay D. Land, approved the final order and judgment to settle class action claims that Central Payment Co. LLC (Central Payment) violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for $6.5 million. Lead plaintiff, Fred Heidarpour, claimed that Central Payment violated the TCPA by hiring third parties to…