CONCERNS OVER TCR FLOW IN: All Eyes on R.E.A.C.H. FCC Petition

So last week R.E.A.C.H. filed a critical petition with the FCC to ban illegal carrier call and text blocking and mislabeling.

A second part of the closely-watched petition focused on the Campaign Registry and the INSANE process of gaining access to 10DLC for SMS.

Been receiving a ton of emails from folks supporting the petition and wondering when to expect the Public Comment period to start (soon!). But here is one I really wanted to share because it encapsulates matters quite well:

“I appreciate your time and the opportunity to discuss TCPA-related matters. I wanted to take a moment to outline the significant and ongoing challenges we have faced due to The Campaign Registry (TCR) and Campaign Verify processes concerning 10DLC registration – challenges that have not only disrupted our business but have also severely impacted the ability of political campaigns to exercise their First Amendment rights.

Previously, we were able to onboard political clients and set up texting campaigns within an hour or two. However, under the current system, the registration process has become prohibitively slow, often taking days or even weeks due to the overly rigid and opaque guidelines imposed by TCR and Campaign Verify. In many cases, registrations are denied or require multiple submissions with little clarity as to why, further exacerbating the delays.

The implications of this are profound:

• Lost Business & Operational Paralysis: The delays have directly resulted in substantial revenue loss for our company, as political clients – who often operate on tight timelines – can no longer afford to wait for an unpredictable registration process.
• Barrier to Political Speech: The extreme bureaucracy and seemingly arbitrary nature of the registration process effectively stifle political communication, limiting the ability of campaigns to reach voters in a timely manner. This, in effect, places unconstitutional restrictions on political speech.
• Lack of Due Process & Transparency: The absence of a clear, standardized appeals process for rejected registrations leaves businesses like ours at the mercy of an opaque system with no meaningful recourse.

At its core, the 10DLC framework – while ostensibly designed to reduce spam – has instead created an anti-competitive and burdensome regulatory bottleneck that disproportionately harms political campaigns and their vendors. The lack of efficiency, coupled with vague and inconsistent enforcement, has placed undue restrictions on both service providers and the campaigns that rely on them to communicate with voters.

I would love the opportunity to discuss this further, particularly any potential legal avenues to challenge or reform the current system. The implementation of 10DLC was supposed to provide a structured, compliant path for A2P messaging, but in practice, it has become a de facto restriction on political speech.”

Boom.

Bang.

Blammo.

Kaployee.

Couldn’t–and haven’t–say it better myself.

Stakes are high here folks.

Keep an eye out for the Commission’s next steps here. More soon.