In a case of first impression, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held in July that all debt collectors must send debtors a verification notice. “In other words, if there are multiple debt collectors that try to collect a debt, each one must send the required notice after its first communication with
Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie Dodge Putative ZIP Code Class Action Under Spokeo
The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia shot down a putative class action brought against Urban Outfitters, Inc., and Anthropologie, Inc., which had alleged that the companies violated D.C. consumer protection statutes by collecting customer ZIP code information during in-store checkout. The July 26 ruling remanded the suit for dismissal, and held that
Federal Judge Denies Hearst Communications’ Motion to Dismiss Privacy Lawsuit
Federal courts continue to interpret and analyze the Supreme Court’s decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins. Recently, a federal judge in New York permitted a lawsuit against Hearst Communications, Inc., to move forward after considering supplemental briefing on Article III standing.
Plaintiffs Suzanne Boelter and Josephine Edwards subscribe to magazines published by Hearst. Plaintiffs
Marketplace Lender Challenges Scope of CFPA and What Constitutes UDAAP
In 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against CashCall, Inc., a marketplace lender, alleging that it violated the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s (“CFPA”) prohibition on unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts and practices (“UDAAP”) by making usury loans in violation of the state laws in which the consumers were located.
On
FTC Announces $200 Million Settlement with Herbalife, Requires Restructured Business Model
The FTC announced that it has reached a settlement with Herbalife that includes a $200 million payment to compensate consumers. In addition to the payment, the settlement agreement has an unusual provision requiring a complete restructuring of Herbalife’s existing business model.
In its complaint against the company, the FTC alleges that Herbalife claimed that people
CFPB Outlines Overhaul of Acceptable Debt Collection Practices
On July 28, at a public hearing in Sacramento, California, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released an outline of new rules targeting third-party debt-collection operations. The new rules seek to curb “excessive or disruptive” communication by restricting collectors from calling debtors numerous times a day, require debt collection companies to have “more and better
Background Screening Class Certified in Obsolete Information Case
On July 26, a Northern District of California judge certified a class of applicants who claimed that S2Verify, a background check company, included obsolete criminal information on their background reports in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. In certifying the class, the Court found that the alleged harm was sufficient under the U.S. Supreme
Spokeo-Based Motion to Dismiss Filed in Pennsylvania Federal Court
In Long v. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation, the named plaintiffs applied for positions as bus operators with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (“SEPTA”). SEPTA allegedly extended each of the plaintiffs a conditional offer of employment, which was contingent upon a background check. In each instance, the plaintiffs disclosed the existence of a drug conviction to
CFPB Files Amicus Brief Before Ninth Circuit in Spokeo
On May 16, the Supreme Court in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins found that the Ninth Circuit had not adequately addressed whether the named plaintiff had sufficiently alleged a “concrete” injury in connection with his putative FCRA class action against Spokeo, Inc. In Spokeo, the plaintiff (Robins) sued the “people search engine” for alleged violations of
Microsoft Prevails in Second Circuit Stored Communications Act Warrant Ruling
Microsoft prevailed in its appeal to the Second Circuit from an order denying its motion to quash a warrant seeking a Microsoft user’s email stored on the company’s servers in Ireland. The ruling sets important precedent limiting the extraterritorial reach of the federal government in seeking to compel disclosure of private company data under the