LinkedIn Settles Class Action Spam Lawsuit

Last week, a proposed class action settlement was published detailing the terms under which LinkedIn will settle various claims of "spam"-related violations in connection with its "Add Connections" feature.

What were the claims against LinkedIn and what are the terms of settlement?

The settlement agreement, which must still be approved by the District Court Judge, calls for LinkedIn to contribute at least $13 million to a fund for consumer relief, as well as for certain changes to LinkedIn's policies and procedures. These changes will include better informing users how its "Add Connections" feature functions, and further changes to allow users to more easily opt out of it.

LinkedIn users first sued the company in 2013, claiming that the social media giant's "Add Connections" feature violated their right of publicity and was an unfair business practice under California law. The spam lawsuit claimed that the feature, which provided LinkedIn with permission to