Frequently Asked Questions

A Court authorized this Settlement Website because you have a right to know about a proposed settlement of this class action lawsuit and about all of your options, before the Court decides whether to give final approval to the settlement. This Settlement Website explains the lawsuit, the settlement, and your legal rights.
 

The Honorable Gabriel A. Fuentes, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, is overseeing this case. The case is called L.C. v. Fertility Centers of Illinois, PLLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-02049. The person who has sued is called the "Plaintiff". The Defendant is Fertility Centers of Illinois, PLLC.

In a class action, one or more people called the "class representatives" (in this case, L.C.) sue on behalf of a group or a “class” of people who have similar claims. In a class action, the court resolves the issues for all class members, except for those who exclude themselves from the Settlement Class.

This lawsuit claims that Defendant violated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510, et seq. (“ECPA”) by disclosing its users’ personally identifiable information (“PII”) to Facebook or Google without consent. The Defendant denies that it violated any law. The Court has not determined who is right. Rather, the Parties have agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid the uncertainties and expenses associated with ongoing litigation.

The Court has not decided whether the Plaintiff or the Defendant should win this case. Instead, both sides agreed to a settlement. That way, they avoid the uncertainties and expenses associated with ongoing litigation, and Settlement Class Members will get compensation sooner rather than, if at all, after the completion of a trial.

The Settlement Class is defined as:
 

All persons in the United States who, from September 1, 2020 through December 31, 2024, accessed and used the Defendant’s website (www.fcionline.com).

Defendant has created a Settlement Fund totaling $375,000.00. Settlement Class Member payments, and the cost to administer the settlement, the cost to inform people about the settlement, attorneys’ fees, and an award to the Class Representative will also come out of this fund (see Question 13).

A detailed description of the settlement benefits can be found in the Settlement Agreement.

If you are member of the Settlement Class you may submit a Claim Form to receive a portion of the Settlement Fund. The amount of this payment will depend on how many of the Settlement Class Members file valid Claims. Each Settlement Class Member who files a valid Claim will receive a proportionate share of the Settlement Fund, which Class Counsel anticipates will be approximately $30-$60. You can contact Class Counsel at (646) 837-7150 or [email protected] to inquire as to the number of Claims filed.

The hearing to consider the fairness of the settlement is scheduled for January 13, 2027 at 10:30 a.m. If the Court approves the settlement, eligible Settlement Class Members whose Claims were approved by the Settlement Administrator will receive their payment 90 days after the settlement has been finally approved and/or any appeals process is complete.  The payment will be made in the form of a check, unless you elect to receive payment by PayPal, Zelle, or Venmo, and all checks will expire and become void 180 days after they are issued.

If you are a Settlement Class Member and you want to get a payment, you must complete and submit a Claim Form by December 3, 2026. Claim Forms can be found and submitted by clicking the "Submit Claim" button on this Settlement Website, or by printing and mailing a paper Claim Form, copies of which are available for download here.

We also encourage you to submit your Claim online. Not only is it easier and more secure, but it is completely free and takes only minutes!

If the settlement becomes final, you will give up your right to sue Defendant for the claims this settlement resolves. The Settlement Agreement describes the specific claims you are giving up against the Defendants. You will be “releasing” the Defendant and certain of its affiliates described in Section 1.24 of the Settlement Agreement.  Unless you exclude yourself (see Question 14), you are “releasing” the claims, regardless of whether you submit a Claim or not.  The Settlement Agreement is available through the “Important Documents” page on this Settlement Website.

The Settlement Agreement describes the released claims with specific descriptions, so read it carefully.  If you have any questions you can talk to the lawyers listed in Question 12 for free or you can, of course, talk to your own lawyer if you have questions about what this means.

If you do nothing, you won’t get any benefits from this settlement. But, unless you exclude yourself, you won’t be able to start a lawsuit or be part of any other lawsuit against the Defendants for the claims being resolved by this settlement.

The Court has appointed Bursor & Fisher, P.A. to be the attorneys representing the Settlement Class. They are called “Class Counsel.” They believe, after conducting an extensive investigation, that the Settlement Agreement is fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the Settlement Class. You will not be charged for these lawyers. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer in this case, you may hire one at your expense.

Class Counsel’s attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses will be paid from the Settlement Fund in an amount determined and awarded by the Court.  Class Counsel is entitled to seek no more than 35% of the $375,000 Settlement Fund, plus no more than $10,000 in litigation costs and expenses, but the Court may award less than this amount.

As approved by the Court, the Class Representative will be paid an incentive award from the Settlement Fund for helping to bring and settle the case. The Class Representative will seek no more than $10,000 as an incentive award, but the Court may award less than this amount.

To exclude yourself from the settlement, you must mail or otherwise deliver a letter (or request for exclusion) stating that you want to be excluded from the L.C. v. Fertility Centers of Illinois, PLLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-02049 settlement. Your letter or request for exclusion must also include your name, your address, your signature, the name and number of this case, and a statement that you wish to be excluded. You must mail or deliver your exclusion request postmarked no later than December 3, 2026 to:

FCI Privacy Settlement
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 225391 
New York, NY 10150-5391

No. Unless you exclude yourself, you give up any right to sue the Defendant for the claims being resolved by this settlement.

No. If you exclude yourself, do not submit a Claim Form to ask for benefits.

If you’re a Settlement Class Member, you can object to the settlement if you don’t like any part of it.  You can give reasons why you think the Court should not approve it. The Court will consider your views.  To object, you must file with the Court a letter or brief stating that you object to the settlement in L.C. v. Fertility Centers of Illinois, PLLC, Case No. 1:25-cv-02049 and identify all your reasons for your objections (including citations and supporting evidence) and attach any materials you rely on for your objections. Your letter or brief must also include your name, an explanation of the basis upon which you claim to be a Settlement Class Member, including information sufficient to identify your current Facebook page or Google account, or a screenshot showing that you were a Facebook member or Google accountholder during the class period, the name and contact information of any and all attorneys representing, advising, or in any way assisting you in connection with your objection, and your signature. If you, or an attorney assisting you with your objection, have ever objected to any class action settlement where you or the objecting attorney has asked for or received payment in exchange for dismissal of the objection (or any related appeal) without modification to the settlement, you must include a statement in your objection identifying each such case by full case caption. You must also mail or deliver a copy of your letter or brief to Class Counsel and Defendant’s Counsel listed below.

Class Counsel will file with the Court and post on this Settlement Website its request for attorneys’ fees by November 19, 2026.

If you want to appear and speak at the Final Approval Hearing to object to the settlement, with or without a lawyer (explained below in answer to Question 21), you must say so in your letter or brief.  File the objection with the Court and mail a copy to these two different places postmarked no later than December 3, 2026.

Objecting simply means telling the Court that you don’t like something about the settlement. You can object only if you stay in the Settlement Class. Excluding yourself from the Settlement Class is telling the Court that you don’t want to be part of the Settlement Class.  If you exclude yourself, you have no basis to object because the case no longer affects you.

The Court will hold the Final Approval Hearing at 10:30 a.m. on January 13, 2027 in Courtroom 2266 at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604. The purpose of the hearing will be for the Court to determine whether to approve the settlement as fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of the Settlement Class; to consider the Class Counsel’s request for attorneys’ fees and expenses; and to consider the request for an incentive award to the Class Representative. At that hearing, the Court will be available to hear any objections and arguments concerning the fairness of the settlement.

The hearing may be postponed to a different date or time without notice, so it is a good idea to check this Settlement Website or call (833) 453-3320. If, however, you timely objected to the settlement and advised the Court that you intend to appear and speak at the Final Approval Hearing, you will receive notice of any change in the date of such Final Approval Hearing.

No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. But, you are welcome to come at your own expense. If you send an objection or comment, you don’t have to come to Court to talk about it. As long as you filed and mailed your written objection on time, the Court will consider it. You may also pay another lawyer to attend, but it’s not required.

Yes. You may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Approval Hearing. To do so, you must include in your letter or brief objecting to the settlement a statement saying that it is your “Notice of Intent to Appear in L.C. v. Fertility Centers of Illinois, PLLC, Case No. 1: 25-cv-02049.” It must include your name, address, telephone number and signature as well as the name and address of your lawyer, if one is appearing for you. Your objection and notice of intent to appear must be filed with the Court and postmarked no later than December 3, 2026, and be sent to the addresses listed in Question 17.

This Settlement Website summarizes the settlement.  More details are in the Settlement Agreement.  You can get a copy of the Settlement Agreement on the Documents link on this Settlement Website. You may also write with questions to FCI Online Settlement, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150. You can call the Settlement Administrator at (833) 453-3320 or Class Counsel at (646) 837-7150, if you have any questions. Before doing so, however, please read the full Notice carefully. You may also find additional information elsewhere on this Settlement Website. If you need to change or update your address, please contact the Settlement Administrator at the contact information above.