Pretty big news here folks.
In a letter sent to Congress late last month, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has suggested in a letter that further Congressional action may be needed to help the agency stop robocalls. She specifically notes the Supreme Court’s ruling in Facebook narrowing the TCPA’s ATDS provisions as part of her concern.
Noting that stopping robocalls is one of the Commission’s “top” priorities, the letter lists a number of accomplishments the FCC can point to–including large fines against some of the worst offenders.
Still, the letter suggests that more authority may be necessary:
Finally, I believe additional authority to combat these calls may be required from Congress. For example, the decision last year by the Supreme Court in Facebook v. Duguid narrowed the definition of autodialer under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which could lead to less consumer protection from robocalls. We also need more tools to catch those behind these calls, including the ability to seize assets to stop them in their tracks and the authority to enable the Commission to go to court directly and collect fines against bad actors.
As I pointed out in the wake of Facebook, swift Congressional action was highly unlikely. It remains to be seen whether the Chairwoman’s suggestions might spur Congress to take up action on the TCPA.
We’ll keep an eye on this.
Full letter here: Letter to Congress
It is not just robocalls. The FCC is going after all solicitation calls without express written consent. The FCC does not like telemarketing. I wish the FCC would be more transparent about its true intentions.