Whitepages $4 Million Privacy Settlement Gains Initial Approval

Whitepages Inc. and two proposed classes of roughly 49,000 consumers gained initial approval of a $4 million settlement resolving claims the online directory company used people’s personal information without permission to advertise its products and services.

The deal is fair, adequate, and reasonable, Judge Gary S. Feinerman wrote in an order filed May 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Consumers sued Whitepages in Illinois state court in June 2019, accusing the Seattle-based company of violating the Illinois Right of Publicity Act. The lawsuit was later removed to Illinois federal court.

The settlement would require ...