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.…
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Pennsylvania Legislature Unanimously Passes SB 992, With EIA Amendments, Bill Heads to Governor Shapiro’s Desk
July 13, 2026
Senate Bill 992 (SB 992), as amended at the request of EIA, has cleared the Pennsylvania General Assembly. On Sunday, July 12, 2026 — following the legislature's successful passage of a state budget, and in the waning hours before both chambers adjourned until September — the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved the bill, as amended, by a unanimous vote, and the Pennsylvania Senate then unanimously agreed to concur in the House amendments. With both chambers now in agreement, SB 992 heads to Governor Josh Shapiro for his signature.…
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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.…
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Pennsylvania House Committee Advances Second Round of EIA-Backed Amendments to SB 992
April 28, 2026
Today, the Pennsylvania House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee, unanimously adopteda second package of amendments to Senate Bill 992 (SB 992), Amendment A02964, and unanimously voted to advance the bill to the full House for consideration. The amendments — sought and shaped by the EIA — sharpen the bill's definitions, create a needed exemption for businesses that are not engaged in telemarketing, and codify the standard list of opt-out keywords that consumers already use every day to stop unwanted text messages.…
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65 TCPA Lawsuits, One Destroyed Computer, and a Federal Judge Who Had Enough
April 13, 2026
A Missouri federal court's devastating 26-page sanctions order in Human v. Fisher Investments offers a rare, detailed look at the predatory litigation model that has become a growing threat to legitimate businesses — including ecommerce merchants. Last week, Judge Matthew T. Schelp of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri issued one of the most striking TCPA sanctions orders in recent memory…
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Beyond the Fifth Circuit: New Ruling Deepens the Legal Divide on TCPA Written Consent Requirement
March 26, 2026
A Maryland federal ruling reinforces growing uncertainty around “written consent” requirements under the TCPA. Just days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit raised questions about whether prior express consent under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) must be in writing, another court has reached a similar conclusion—this time in a different jurisdiction. In Bradley v. DentalPlans.com, a federal judge in Maryland held that the TCPA does not explicitly require written consent for certain telemarketing communications. …
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