FTC Readies Stricter Rules For 'Robo Calls'

FTC READIES STRICTER RULES FOR 'ROBO CALLS'
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Erika Lovley erika.lovley@wsj.com]
A Federal Trade Commission proposal banning most recorded sales calls has many telemarketers urging the government to stick with more-lenient Federal Communication Commission regulations. The FTC proposal, which goes into effect Jan. 2, would prohibit telemarketers from making "robo calls" to any customer -- unless a customer gives written permission to do so. On the other hand, FCC rules allow recorded calls to any customer with whom the company has an established business relationship. Recorded telephone solicitations -- in contrast with ones made by live operators -- have been prohibited in some form by the FCC since 1991, and the FTC since 2003. The FTC has held off on enforcing its rules for the past three years but plans to begin cracking down after Jan. 2. The FTC proposal has left some telemarketers uncertain about how to proceed, since both agencies regulate some portion of the telemarketing industry.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116467792280534048.html?mod=todays_us_pa...
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