Top Ten Telemarketing Compliance Stories of 2021
2021 was an eventful year in the world of telemarketing regulations. Here are the most important events and stories from the past year.
TRACED Act
30 Years of the TCPA
Today is the 30 year anniversary of President George H.W. Bush signing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) into law. It is fitting that this anniversary is somewhat overlooked as, for the first two decades of its existence, the TCPA served its intended, modest purpose as a statute allowing individual consumers to bring lawsuits in small claims court.
Call Deliverability Is a Priority for Marketers in the STIR/SHAKEN Era
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was signed into law in 1991—eons ago with regards to telecommunications technology. At the time that the law was drafted and passed, one of the primary regulatory concerns was the then-prevalent practice of sending junk faxes. Now, in the smartphone era, regulators are far more concerned with robocalls.
FCC Launches Robocall Mitigation Database
On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced its latest effort to combat illegal robocalls: the creation of the Robocall Mitigation Database. Voice service providers will be required to use the database to inform the FCC of their efforts at mitigating unlawful robocalls.
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.
FCC Reviews TCPA Exemptions as Mandated by the TRACED Act
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a Report and Order modifying the requirements for certain exemptions to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Will Step Down in January
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai announced on Monday that he will leave the commission on January 20, 2021, the date that Joe Biden is expected to be inaugurated as president. While Pai’s term as Chairman was not set to end until June 2021, this decision to step down follows the usual precedent when the presidency changes hands between parties.
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.
TRACED Act NPRM: FCC Will Review TCPA Exemptions
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) outlining the next steps in the Commission’s ongoing efforts to implement the TRACED Act.
FCC Adopts Previously Proposed SHAKEN/STIR Rules
Two weeks ago, we reported that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had proposed new rules relating to the implementation of SHAKEN/STIR call authentication protocols as a part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to put the TRACED Act into practice.