Over the last three years alone, energy, utility and solar companies have been targeted in numerous putative class actions alleging violations of the TCPA that resulted in several multimillion-dollar settlements totaling more...more
12/3/2019
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Class Action ,
Energy Sector ,
FCC ,
New Guidance ,
Opt-Outs ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Settlement ,
Solar Energy ,
TCPA ,
Telemarketing ,
Text Messages ,
Utilities Sector
More than a year has passed since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ended its supplemental comment period aimed at providing guidance on the definition of an “automatic telephone dialing system” (ATDS or autodialer)...more
As the use of biometric data continues to grow and become more prevalent across industries of all types and sizes, complying with data security and privacy laws has never been more critical or challenging. This is...more
9/11/2019
/ Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Class Action ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Defense Strategies ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ,
FRCP 23 ,
Injury-in-Fact ,
Standing ,
Statutory Defenses
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is one of the most frequently litigated statutes, spurring individual, and more often, national class action litigation. The pace at which new TCPA suits are filed is not slowing,...more
8/8/2019
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Exclusive Jurisdiction ,
FCC ,
Hobbs Act ,
Legislative Agendas ,
PDR Network LLC v Carlton & Harris Chiropractic Inc ,
Private Right of Action ,
Remand ,
Robocalling ,
TCPA ,
Telecommunications ,
Unsolicited Advertisements ,
Unsolicited Faxes
While the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and its potential amendments are still a top concern for businesses, other states are showing that they will not be left behind when it comes to enhanced privacy legislation....more
6/7/2019
/ Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Privacy ,
Exemptions ,
Gramm-Leach-Blilely Act ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Personal Data ,
Privacy Laws ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Legislation
Consistent with prior US Supreme Court opinions, the Supreme Court held on April 24, 2019, that contractual ambiguity regarding class arbitration may not be construed against the drafter because of Federal Arbitration Act...more
5/1/2019
/ Ambiguous ,
Appeals ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Agreements ,
Class Arbitration ,
Consent ,
Federal Arbitration Act ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Jurisdiction ,
Lamps Plus Inc v Varela ,
Motion to Compel ,
Preemption ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Stolt-Nielsen
Companies in all industries and of all sizes are increasingly using biometric data—fingerprints, voiceprints, and facial structure, to name three—as a faster, more reliable, and more economical alternative to passwords and...more
4/12/2019
/ Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Consent ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Fingerprints ,
Gramm-Leach-Blilely Act ,
IL Supreme Court ,
Notice Requirements ,
Personal Data ,
Private Sector ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Standard of Care
Although the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) may be most commonly known for its prohibitions on robocalls, text messages also fall within the TCPA’s broad scope. Given the outsize risk of class action TCPA litigation...more
In a unanimous decision handed down on January 25, 2019, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed a lower court opinion and held that a plaintiff need not show actual harm to seek relief under the Biometric Information and Privacy...more
Companies in consumer-facing industries face a continued wave of class action filings under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). In 2018, TCPA lawsuits remained one of the most filed types of class actions in courts...more
1/10/2019
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Class Action ,
Databases ,
Exclusive Jurisdiction ,
FCC ,
Hobbs Act ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Reassigned Phone Numbers ,
Revocation ,
TCPA ,
Third-Party Liability
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), approximately 100,000 cell phone numbers are reassigned in this country every day, resulting in millions of wireless numbers being reassigned each year. Reassigned...more
12/21/2018
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Databases ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
FCC ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Reassigned Phone Numbers ,
Robocalling ,
Safe Harbors ,
Spam ,
TCPA ,
Text Messages ,
Wireless Devices
Are courts bound by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulings and orders in deciding Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) cases? The United States Supreme Court has agreed to take on a case raising this very issue. ...more
Whether and in what form a consumer has given consent to be contacted via an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) may be a crucial aspect of determining liability under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)....more
On October 3, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) instituted a brief, immediate, supplemental comment period as it seeks to resolve an issue at the heart of thousands of lawsuits filed under the Telephone Consumer...more
Companies that market products through third-party agents or distributors face a particular risk under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) when their agents call, text or fax consumers without obtaining the necessary...more
8/14/2018
/ Advertising ,
Class Action ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Dish Network ,
Faxes ,
FCC ,
Marketing ,
TCPA ,
Telemarketing ,
Text Messages ,
Third-Party Liability ,
Unsolicited Faxes ,
Vicarious Liability
After years of uncertainty, the United States Supreme Court has revisited one of its most important class action opinions, and in doing so, set limits on the filing of successive class actions. In China Agritech, Inc. v....more
“What is an autodialer?” The FCC wants to know what you think.
For years, the question of what constitutes an autodialer has confounded courts, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and companies that call and text...more
Here are answers to many of the Frequently Asked Questions arising from the DC Circuit’s decision in ACA International.
TCPA R.I.P.? -
No. The DC Circuit struck down two of the FCC’s most controversial rules—the...more
4/5/2018
/ ATDS ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Cell Phones ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
FCC ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Reassigned Phone Numbers ,
Revocation ,
Robocalling ,
Safe Harbors ,
Smartphones ,
TCPA
As part of the recently enacted federal spending bill, the US Congress has passed a momentous piece of legislation directly affecting providers of electronic communication services like email service providers and social...more
On March 22, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and is seeking comments on the intractable problem of Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) liability...more
In a long-awaited ruling, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit trimmed the expansive scope of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The appellants, in ACA International v. Federal Communications Commission...more
3/23/2018
/ Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Call Blocking ,
Declaratory Rulings ,
Exemptions ,
FCC ,
Mobile Devices ,
Prior Express Consent ,
Reassigned Phone Numbers ,
Revocation ,
Robocalling ,
Smartphones ,
TCPA ,
Telemarketing ,
Text Messages ,
Wireless Devices
One of the many criticisms of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), enacted in 1991, is that it has not kept pace with developments in communications technology. Instead, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),...more
Just two months after an Illinois appellate court dismissed a similar complaint alleging a violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), a California federal court found that a claim asserted under BIPA...more
3/13/2018
/ Article III ,
Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Facebook ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Injury-in-Fact ,
Popular ,
Standing
Many companies employ third parties to assist with communications to consumers, or to market their products and services through semi-independent agents, brokers, or contractors. As a result, companies may face vicarious...more
An unexpected decision from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has raised questions about the viability of nationwide class action settlements. What appeared to be a wrapped-up settlement agreement unraveled after...more