Seamless Contacts, Inc. offers subscriptions to information, primarily intended for salespeople and marketers. But the complaint for this class action alleges that Seamless uses the identies of people who are not connected with it to sell its subscriptions and that it sells personal information without the consent of the persons involved. The complaint asserts, “Illinois law recognizes the intellectual property and privacy rights of Illinois residents in controlling the use of their names, photographs, likenesses, and identities for commercial purposes.”
The class for this action is all current and former Illinois residents who are not subscribers of Seamless and whose names and personal information Seamless put into profiles used to promote paid subscriptions.
Seamless maintains a searchable database of profiles that show names, job titles, places of work, locations, and other information, sometimes including photos of the people. The complaint quotes it as allowing salespeople to “[c]onnect directly with your ideal customers” and “[f]ind all your prospect’s information—including emails, direct dials, and more.”
The company offers free trials to potential subscribers that they can use to search for, view, and download information. With a free trial, a consumer and potential customer can search for a person, then see that person’s personal information, along with an “Upgrade” button offering a paid subscription. Once the free trial is finished, the consumer will receive messages that prompt them to get a paid subscription.
According to the complaint, Seamless’s Basic subscription plan allows users to pay $147 to search for, view, and download information on up to 250 profiles per month, while a Pro plan costs $99 per day and allows users to search for, view, and download information on up to 1,000 people per day; an Enterprise plan offers a negotiated arrangement. It also offers other services, including such things as “‘Real-Time Alerts’ that will notify the subscriber when [people] ‘change or leave their jobs’…”
The plaintiff in this case, Kate Hoffower, the complaint says, “does not know how Seamless obtained her name, contact, information, job title, place of work, and city of residence.” It alleges, “Seamless misappropriated Plaintiff’s and Class Members’ names, personal information, and identities without permission or consent from Plaintiff or the Class.”
The information Seamless takes from other has commercial value, the complaint contends, which is demonstrated by the fact that Seamless uses that information for its own gain.
“Consent is not all or nothing[,]” the complaint alleges. The fact that people may have shared their information in a limited context, it claims, does not give Seamless the right to take and use that information for its own commercial uses.
Article Type: LawsuitTopic: Privacy
Most Recent Case Event
Seamless Contacts Commercial Use of Private Information Illinois Complaint
April 21, 2022
Seamless Contacts, Inc. offers subscriptions to information, primarily intended for salespeople and marketers. But the complaint for this class action alleges that Seamless uses the identies of people who are not connected with it to sell its subscriptions and that it sells personal information without the consent of the persons involved. The complaint asserts, “Illinois law recognizes the intellectual property and privacy rights of Illinois residents in controlling the use of their names, photographs, likenesses, and identities for commercial purposes.”
Seamless Contacts Commercial Use of Private Information Illinois ComplaintCase Event History
Seamless Contacts Commercial Use of Private Information Illinois Complaint
April 21, 2022
Seamless Contacts, Inc. offers subscriptions to information, primarily intended for salespeople and marketers. But the complaint for this class action alleges that Seamless uses the identies of people who are not connected with it to sell its subscriptions and that it sells personal information without the consent of the persons involved. The complaint asserts, “Illinois law recognizes the intellectual property and privacy rights of Illinois residents in controlling the use of their names, photographs, likenesses, and identities for commercial purposes.”
Seamless Contacts Commercial Use of Private Information Illinois Complaint