In a decision certain to have significant impact on Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action litigation, today the U.S. Supreme Court concluded narrowly that to qualify as an “automatic telephone dialing system”, a device must be able to either “store a telephone number using a random or sequential generator or to produce a telephone
Telephone Consumer Protection Act
TCPA Is Unenforceable Since 2015 – Federal Courts in Louisiana and Ohio Rule
In late September, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued a first of its kind ruling regarding the Telephone Consumer Privacy Act (“TCPA”). The court held that TCPA provision, 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(A)(iii) – which prohibits calls (and messages) made using an Automatic Telephone Dialing Systems (“ATDS”)to any cellular telephone…
Eleventh Circuit rejects incentive awards for class plaintiffs
Co-Author: Eric R. Magnus
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that “incentive” or “service” awards to lead plaintiffs in Rule 23 class actions are unlawful. It is the first circuit court of appeals to expressly invalidate such awards as a matter of law. (Johnson v. NPAS Solutions, LLC, No. 18-12344, September…
Will the Passing of Justice Ginsburg Impact the Future of the TCPA?
The passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will likely bring with it many shifts in the Court on key issues, among which are matters regarding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), most imminently – what qualifies as an auto dialer. The TCPA has been ever evolving in recent years as courts and…
Supreme Court Will Take on The TCPA Again
Back in October of 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court was petitioned to review a Ninth Circuit ruling regarding the Telephone Consumer Privacy Act (“TCPA”) on the following issues: 1) whether the TCPA’s prohibition on calls made by an automatic telephone dialing system (“ATDS”) is an unconstitutional restriction of speech, and if so whether the proper…
Supreme Court Weighs in on TCPA Constitutionality
In a much-anticipated Supreme Court decision, Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants, sure to impact the future of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), the Court addressed the issue of whether the government-debt exception to the TCPA’s automated-call restriction violates the First Amendment, and whether the proper remedy for any constitutional violation is…
FCC’s Declaratory Ruling on the TCPA’s “Emergency Purposes” Exception During COVID-19: Does it apply to Workplace Correspondence?
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) generally prohibits the use of automated dialing equipment or prerecorded voice messages to make calls, send text messages, or send faxes absent prior consent of the called party. This includes calls or texts to cellular phone numbers as well as calls to residential lines. There are limited exceptions to…
Two More Significant Rulings for TCPA Litigation – Eleventh and Seventh Circuits Narrowly Interpret ATDS
In back-to-back decisions bound to have significant impact on Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action litigation, the Eleventh and Seventh Circuit Courts recently reached similar conclusions, narrowly holding that the TCPA’s definition of Automatic Telephone Dialing System (ATDS) only includes equipment that is capable of storing or producing numbers using a “random or sequential”…
The Supreme Court and the Future of the TCPA
In a decision that may have significant impact on businesses that face Telephone Consumer Protect Act (“TCPA”) related class action litigation, the Supreme Court recently accepted certiorari of a petition to rule on the constitutionality of the TCPA. The Court agreed to review a ruling of the Fourth Circuit which held that a TCPA exemption…
Combating Improper Robocalls: The TRACED Act Signed into Law
In the final days of 2019, the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (“TRACED Act”) was signed into law to combat the increasing number of illegal robocall practices and other intentional violations of telemarketing laws. The TRACED Act, a bipartisan bill, first introduced in Congress in 2018, broadens FCC authority to levy Telephone…