Court Approves Text Message Class Action against Yahoo, Orders Notice of Lawsuit that May Provide $500-$1500 per Text Message, Announces Keogh Law, LTD.

CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 4, 2016, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois certified a class action against Yahoo, claiming that it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA") by using an automatic telephone dialing system to send "Welcome" text messages regarding its Yahoo Messenger program without prior express consent. The lawsuit, Johnson v. Yahoo! Inc., Case No. 14-cv-2028, is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  On December 12, 2016, the court approved Johnson's notice plan and ordered that notice be sent to the class.

The lawsuit alleges that Yahoo used automated dialing systems to send the following "Welcome" text message to the class members in order to promote its Yahoo Messenger program:

"A Yahoo! user has sent you a message. Reply to that SMS to respond. Reply INFO to this SMS for help or go to y.ahoo.it/imsms."

The Plaintiff claims that this text message violates the TCPA, which prohibits the use of an "automatic telephone dialing system" to send text messages without the "prior express consent" of the called party. Yahoo denies violating the TCPA and the use of an automatic telephone dialing system, and claims some class members may have provided consent. The lawsuit seeks $500-$1500 per text message for the class members.

The class includes all persons within the United States who used a cellular telephone number to which Yahoo! sent the Welcome Message from March 1, 2013 through March 31, 2013, while the cellular number was assigned to Sprint and was not associated with a Yahoo! user in Yahoo!'s records. 

The Court has not yet ruled on the merits of the case.  Class members may stay in the class or request to be excluded by March 13, 2017.

For a detailed notice, instructions, and other documents about this lawsuit and your rights, go to www.YahooTCPAClass.com, call 1-866-726-1092, email [email protected], or write to Yahoo Text Message Class Action Notice Administrator c/o KCC Class Action Services PO Box 30227 College Station, TX 77842-3227.

SOURCE Keogh Law, LTD.