FTC

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FTC to Increase DNC List Fees on October 1

On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will be increasing the fees associated with the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry for the fiscal year 2022. DNC List fees are assessed on a per-area code basis.

FTC Fines New Jersey Septic Tank Cleaning Company $1.6 Million for DNC Violations

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached an agreement with the owners of a New Jersey-based septic tank cleaning supplies company over robocall violations. The owners of the company will pay a fine of $1.6 million, accept a permanent ban on telemarketing, and turn over a residential property.

Acting FCC Chair Rosenworcel Announces Anti-Robocall Agenda

Acting Chair of the Federal Communications Commission Jessica Rosenworcel has announced her first major agenda items relating to the Commission’s ongoing project to regulate robocalls.

The 12 States With State-Level DNC Lists

When the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) implemented the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry in 2003, 32 states already managed their own DNC lists. In the ensuing years, most of those states chose to forgo the continued maintenance of state-specific lists and adopted the federal list.

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What Is a Robocall?

The practical consequences of telemarketing regulation and the outcomes of telemarketing litigation often turn on how key terminology in regulatory legislation and rules is interpreted. As seen with the ongoing debate over how to interpret the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s (TCPA) definition of “automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS),” this can be an issue even with terms that are explicitly defined in federal statutes. For a term such as “robocall” that lacks a clear definition, this can be significantly more complicated.

2021 TCPA Compliance Trends

There’s been a trend in outbound sales and lead generation over the last few years. You might describe it as a gradually constricting strangle on the ability of outbound call centers to actually get through to consumers. It’s no secret that this trend runs a parallel course with the trends of increasing TCPA compliance restrictions and other FCC led efforts to shield consumers from telemarketing abuse.

One Year Later: Tracking the Implementation of the TRACED Act

December 30, 2020 marks the one year anniversary of President Donald Trump signing the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act into law. The law, whose name is an acronym for Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence, is the first major federal telemarketing legislation in more than a decade.

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What Are the Penalties Associated with TCPA Violations?

While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and state attorneys general also have enforcement powers, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is primarily enforced through its private right of action, allowing individuals to bring suit under the law.

TCPA vs. DNC

Telemarketing compliance is made difficult by the byzantine nature of telemarketing regulations. Any marketer can be forgiven for struggling to keep track of the varying levels of laws, regulatory agencies, and other enforcement mechanisms. However, there are two acronyms that loom large enough in the regulatory landscape that everybody knows them, even if they don’t really understand what they mean: TCPA and DNC.

The Washington DC offices of the Federal Trade Commission

FTC Fines VoIP Service Provider $2 Million for TSR Violations

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the State of Ohio have announced that they are fining Globex Telecom, Inc.—a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider—approximately $2 million for violating multiple consumer protection regulations, including the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) and Ohio’s Telephone Solicitation Sales Act.

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