LinkedIn Add Connections Class Action Settlement

LinkedIn Corp. has reached a $13 million class action settlement over allegations that it improperly emailed members’ imported contacts without their permission. If you used LinkedIn’s Add Connections feature between Sept. 17, 2011 and Oct. 31, 2014, you may be eligible to for a cash award.

If approved, the LinkedIn settlement will resolve a 2013 class action lawsuit (Perkins v. LinkedIn Corp.) that accuses the social networking site of improperly using its Add Connections feature to grow its membership base. It allegedly did this by sending out promotional spam that used members’ names and likenesses without their permission.

Add Connections allows LinkedIn members to import contacts from their external email accounts and email connection invitations to one or more of those contacts inviting them to connect on LinkedIn. If a connection invitation is not accepted within a certain period of time, up to two “reminder emails” are sent reminding the recipient that the connection invitation is pending.

The Court found that LinkedIn members consented to importing their contacts and sending the connection invitation, but did not find that members consented to LinkedIn sending the two reminder emails. The Plaintiffs contend that LinkedIn members did not consent to the use of their names and likenesses in those reminder emails.

LinkedIn denies these allegations and any and all wrongdoing or liability, but in June agreed to the class action lawsuit settlement to end the litigation and avoid the expense and uncertainty of going to trial.

A California federal judge granted preliminary approval of the LinkedIn Add Connections settlement on Sept. 15.

A Final Fairness Hearing will be held Dec. 14, 2015.

Who’s Eligible

Class Members of the LinkedIn Add Connections settlement include all current and former LinkedIn members who used the Add Connections feature between Sept. 17, 2011 and Oct. 31, 2014 to import information from external email accounts and send emails to non-members that contained the member’s name, photograph, likeness and/or identity.

Potential Award

Varies depending on how many Class Members file valid claims. The amount of money awarded to each Class Member will be calculated on a pro rata basis.

According to the Settlement Administrator:

“If the number of approved claims results in a payment amount of less than $10, LinkedIn will pay an additional amount up to $750,000 into the fund. If the pro rata amount is so small that it cannot be distributed in a way that is economically feasible, payments will be made, instead, to Cy Pres Recipients selected by the Parties and approved by the Court. No one knows in advance whether or in what amount payments will be made to claimants.”

Proof of Purchase

Emails containing a Settlement Notice and individual Claim ID number were emailed to qualifying individuals on Oct. 2, 2015.

You can still file a claim if you did not receive a Claim ID number, but you will be required to provide your mailing address and email.

Claim Form

Claim Form Deadline

12/14/15

Case Name

Perkins, et al. v. LinkedIn Corp., Case No. 5:13-cv-04303, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Final Hearing

12/14/15

UPDATE 4/20/16: The LinkedIn Add Connections Class Action Settlement is currently under appeal.  Claims will not be paid until all appeals are exhausted.  We appreciate your ongoing  patience. Top Class Actions will continue to provide updates as we learn more.  Keep checking back and let us know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our  Facebook page.

UPDATE 2: On August 16, 2016, all appeals were dismissed.  The settlement website states that payments will be mailed on or before October 16, 2016.  Keep checking back and let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our  Facebook page.
UPDATE 3: On Oct. 17, 2016, Top Class Actions readers who submitted valid claims for theLinkedIn add connections class action settlementstarted receiving checks worth as much as $20.43! Congratulations to all our viewers who got PAID!

Settlement Website

www.AddConnectionsSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Perkins v. LinkedIn Corp. Settlement
c/o Gilardi & Co. LLC
P.O. Box 6002
Petaluma, CA 94975-8012
info@AddConnectionsSettlement.com

You may also contact Class Counsel by calling (310) 826-7474.

Class Counsel

Larry C. Russ, Esq.
RUSS AUGUST & KABAT

Defense Counsel

Jerome C. Roth, Esq.
MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON LLP