Breaking: Seventh Circuit Confirms a Text Message Is Not a “Call” Under the TCPA’s Do-Not-Call Private Right of Action
July 14, 2026
The wait is over. In our earlier coverage — Seventh Circuit Weighs Whether a Text Message Is Really a "Call" Under the TCPA — we reported on oral argument in Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services and the panel's pointed questions about whether a 1991 statute reaches modern text messaging. Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit answered. In a unanimous decision authored by Judge Kirsch, the court held that a text message is not a "telephone call" within the meaning of the TCPA's private right of action for Do-Not-Call violations.…
READ FULL POST
Seventh Circuit Weighs Whether a Text Message Is Really a “Call” Under the TCPA
June 9, 2026
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit heard oral arguments in Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services as it prepares to weigh in on the critical debate over whether a text message should be treated as a “telephone call” under the TCPA. For ecommerce businesses that rely on SMS marketing, customer engagement texts, and automated messaging tools, the outcome could have major implications for future TCPA litigation and compliance obligations.…
READ FULL POST
When Is a Text a “Call”? Courts Remain Split and Ecommerce Businesses Are Caught in the Middle
April 10, 2026
The legal landscape around SMS marketing is becoming more complex and more consequential for ecommerce businesses. A recent Illinois federal court decision in Rabbitt v. Rohrman Midwest Motors adds new momentum to a growing divide among courts: whether a text message qualifies as a “call” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). In Rabbitt v. Rohrman, the court concluded that it can. This brings SMS messages within the scope of the TCPA’s Do Not Call (DNC) rules.…
READ FULL POST
District Courts Are Split in Grappling Over Whether “Telephone Call” Means “Text Message” Under TCPA’s Private Right of Action for DNC Violations
December 22, 2025
The Supreme Court’s opinion in McLaughlin v. McKesson has ushered in a new era for TCPA litigation, and opened doors to challenges that defendants were precluded from making prior to the Supreme Court’s decision. The most recent litigation battleground McLaughlin has opened is the question of whether the words “telephone call” used in 47 U.S.C. § 227(c)(5) means “text message”. …
READ FULL POST
Federal Court Allows TCPA Claims for Company’s Failure to Include Its Name in Marketing Texts: Why We Believe The Court Got it Wrong
August 12, 2025
In Newell v. JR Capital, LLC, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently addressed a motion to dismiss a claim alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) related to marketing text messages. The plaintiff, Jourey Newell, claimed that JR Capital sent him five telemarketing text messages without required caller identification information, specifically JR Capital's name, which he alleged violated 47 C.F.R. § 64.1601(e). …
READ FULL POST
Federal Court Concludes TCPA Does Not Apply to Text Messages: What the Jones v. Blackstone Decision Means for Your SMS Marketing
July 31, 2025
A recent ruling in Jones v. Blackstone Medical Services, LLC by a federal court offers an important interpretation of the TCPA concerning Do-Not-Call claims and text messages. This decision, delivered on July 21, 2025, from the Central District of Illinois, found that the specific section of the TCPA governing Do-Not-Call rules – 47 U.S.C. § 227(c) – does not apply to text messages.…
READ FULL POSTPost categories
- Industry News (6)
- Legal Update (26)
- Legislative Update (88)
- Organization News (5)
- Regulatory Update (68)
REcent Posts
Popular Tags
Ecommerce Innovation Alliance (130) EIA (129) FCC (72) FCC petition (19) Federal Communications Commission (55) Frivolous Lawsuits (20) illegal calls (19) mini-TCPA (26) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (18) quiet hours (29) robocalls (29) scam phone calls (23) shakedown litigation (27) SMS (37) sms marketing (61) spam calls (29) spam phone calls (20) tariffs (18) TCPA (70) TCPA lawsuits (21) Telephone Consumer Protection Act (54) text messages (41) text messaging (33) text messaging laws (23) tracking technologies (20)