Smartphone Privacy Class Action Settlement Checks Mailed

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TCA viewers are reporting that they have received checks from the Smartphone privacy class action settlement worth as much as $417.00.

The Smartphone privacy class action lawsuit, filed in 2011, alleged that mobile device giants, including HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Pantech Wireless, and Samsung, installed software that gathered users’ private information. The plaintiffs in the nearly 70 lawsuits filed over the allegations said that user information collected by the tech companies included names, passwords, text messages, and search history.

According to the class action lawsuit, the tech giants violated the federal Wiretap Act when they included this software on smartphones and tablets, along with state privacy laws.

Samsung and the other defendants sought to dismiss the class action lawsuit on numerous occasions, arguing that they did not “intercept” communications while gathering user data as laid out in the Wiretap Act. Ultimately, however, the plaintiffs won a settlement in the multidistrict litigation totaling $9 million for Class Members.

Class Members in the class action lawsuit settlement included those who who purchased, owned, or were authorized users of certain phones and tablets manufactured by HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Pantech Wireless, or Samsung with service on AT&T, Cricket, Sprint, or T-Mobile between Dec. 1, 2007 through Mar. 1, 2016.

In addition to a cash payout, multiple defendant smartphone and tablet makers agreed to supply a fix that would stop the data gathering software on the affected devices.

There are an estimated 79 million Class Members affected by the alleged wiretapping software on their mobile devices. It was estimated that each Class Member would receive a $149.00 cash award, although TCA viewers are reporting as much as $417.00.

The deadline to submit a claim in the class action lawsuit settlement was June 4, 2016. An appeal to the Smartphone Privacy class action settlement was filed in September 2016, delaying the payout of claims. The settlement website reported that checks were mailed on Sept. 21, 2018.

Congratulations to our Top Class Actions readers who submitted a valid claim and got PAID! If you missed out, sign up for our free newsletter to receive updates on new class action lawsuits and settlements. You can also check out which class action settlements are still accepting claims in our Open Class Action Settlements section.

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The plaintiffs are represented by Joseph H. Malley, Law Office of Joseph H. Malley, PC, Steve W. Berman and Robert F. Lopez of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and Bruce L. Simon, Daniel L. Warshaw and William J. Newsom of Pearson Simon & Warshaw LLP, and others.

The Samsung Smartphone Privacy Class Action Lawsuit is In re: Carrier IQ Inc. Consumer Privacy Litigation, Case No. 3:12-md-02330, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.