Seventh Circuit Limits TCPA Lawsuits Over Marketing Text Messages

In Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services (decided on July 14, 2026), the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals significantly narrowed one avenue of litigation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) when it held that marketing text messages do not count as “calls” that can support the TCPA’s private right of action. For now, the precedential nature of this decision is limited to the Seventh Circuit, which consists of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.