TRACED Act

The Federal Communications Commission adopts measures targeting artificial or prerecorded telephone calls to residential telephone lines

By William Rooks & John L. Culhane, Jr. on January 19, 2021

Posted in FCC, Regulatory and Enforcement, TCPA

On December 30, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its Report and Order, implementing provisions of the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (the “TRACED Act”).

By way of background, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) includes a provision that bans “any telephone call to any residential telephone line using an artificial or prerecorded voice to deliver a message without the prior express consent of the called party,” unless a statutory or regulatory exception applies.… Continue Reading

Telecom providers and state AG’s enter into agreement to combat robocalls

By Ballard CFS Group on September 10, 2019

Posted in FCC, Regulatory and Enforcement

Recently, the twelve largest telecom providers and the attorneys general of all fifty states and Washington, D.C., entered into an agreement aimed at identifying and deterring robocalls. Although this agreement is intended primarily to help combat the use of robocalls, to make spam calls illegal and to protect consumers, the agreement’s emphasis on broader access to call-blocking functionality will likely pose challenges for a wide range of legitimate callers, including creditors and debt collection agencies.… Continue Reading