LinkedIn is sending $20 checks to its users.
OK, not everyone is receiving the payout, only those who were part of last year’s class-action lawsuit brought by users miffed at the company repeatedly sending out emails to their contacts in a bid to get them to connect.
The lawsuit, filed in California, focused on the issue of consent and the way the professional networking site operated its Add Connections feature between 2011 and 2014. The feature lets users import their personal contacts so LinkedIn can send out invitation emails suggesting they connect through the service.
The suit noted that when the targeted contact failed to respond to the invitation within a certain amount of time, LinkedIn would fire off up to two additional reminder emails prompting the invitee to make a decision about whether to connect.
The court documents stated that although a user may have given LinkedIn permission to send out the initial invitation, they did not consent to the sending of the two reminder emails, or to the use of their name and image in those emails. The lack of clarity in the site’s terms of service regarding the follow-up emails led LinkedIn to settle the action for $13 million.
Users opening their mailboxes to find a check from the company include those who were using LinkedIn between September 2011 and October 2014 and also opted in to the Add Connections feature at the center of the dispute.
Eligible LinkedIn users were told of the settlement exactly a year ago (by email, naturally), and had until December to make a claim and receive part of the $13 million payout. If you did so, you may have already received the money. If not, it should be coming soon.
A whopping $20.43
— Chelsea (@Chelsea_Greene) October 25, 2016
Nine lead plaintiffs will each receive around $165, while the vast majority of those involved will each receive a shade over $20.
It’s not clear exactly how many people will be receiving a check from LinkedIn, but if you do, be sure to deposit it before January 12, 2017, as after that it won’t be worth a dime.
