Who Needs a SAN?

Any company who is calling or texting is required by law to suppress phone numbers against the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. A SAN (Subscription Account Number) must be purchased and renewed annually in order to download the DNC registry. Many callers find the rules relating to and process for acquiring a SAN to… Continue reading Who Needs a SAN?

FCC Clarifies COVID-19 TCPA Emergency Purposes Declaratory Ruling

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a public notice yesterday clarifying the scope of the commission’s March 20, 2020 Declaratory Ruling about the “emergency purposes” exemption to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)  as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic. The clarification is in regards to calls about plasma donation. In the March 20 declaration,… Continue reading FCC Clarifies COVID-19 TCPA Emergency Purposes Declaratory Ruling

TCPA Risks for Political Campaigns

Some callers may be under the mistaken impression that political calls are exempt from the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This is not true. However, because political calls are not regulated in the same way as marketing calls it is important to understand the distinct character of TCPA regulations for political campaigns. This article outlines the regulations and requirements that govern this unique form of telephone solicitation.

Georgia Congressional Candidate Faces TCPA Lawsuit Over Campaign Texts

A Georgia state legislator faces a class action for alleged Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) violations committed in service of her campaign for a congressional seat. The suit demonstrates that political campaigns are a target for TCPA litigation, even ones that have a lower profile than presidential campaigns. The lawsuit—Bowman v. Unterman—centers on two text… Continue reading Georgia Congressional Candidate Faces TCPA Lawsuit Over Campaign Texts

EDITORIAL: What did the Supreme Court do to the TCPA?

It was a clever lawsuit: suing the government and challenging the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) under the auspices of the First Amendment. The heart of the case—the government-held debt collection exemption is a content-based restriction on speech—will have telemarketers rejoicing: no more TCPA nuisance lawsuits! ”Gentlemen… start your dialers!” Wait… stop… what have we… Continue reading EDITORIAL: What did the Supreme Court do to the TCPA?

Run It Back: SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Another Potentially Huge TCPA Case Next Year

While everybody is still digesting the Supreme Court’s status-quo-maintaining decision in Barr v. AAPC, the court announced that they have granted the petition for writ of certiorari in another case that could have significant consequences for the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). And unlike Barr, this case challenges the statute’s all-important automatic telephone dialing system… Continue reading Run It Back: SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Another Potentially Huge TCPA Case Next Year

SCOTUS Strikes Down Debt Exemption, Upholds TCPA as a Whole

This is the way Barr v. AAPC ends This is the way Barr v. AAPC ends This is the way Barr v. AAPC ends Not with a bang but with a whimper. After all the legal wrangling and parsing of oral arguments, the Supreme Court handed down a decision today in a case that had… Continue reading SCOTUS Strikes Down Debt Exemption, Upholds TCPA as a Whole

FCC Issues Declaratory Ruling That Click-to-Text Is Not an ATDS

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Declaratory Ruling holding that click-to-text platforms will not be considered to be Automatic Telephone Dialing Systems (ATDS) if the phone number is manually added each time. This ruling is in response to a May 2018 petition from from P2P Alliance. It affirms that a peer-to-peer texting platform that… Continue reading FCC Issues Declaratory Ruling That Click-to-Text Is Not an ATDS

The Possibility of TCPA Being Invalidated Is No Reason for Complacency

The entire telemarketing industry is awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in AAPC v. Barr, the case that very may well invalidate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in its entirety. However, the possibility that the main federal enforcement mechanism for regulating telemarketing may soon disappear is no reason for marketers to become lax in their… Continue reading The Possibility of TCPA Being Invalidated Is No Reason for Complacency

Court Invokes TCPA Debt Exemption Despite Imminent SCOTUS Ruling

While everybody waits to see if the government-backed debt exemption leads to the Supreme Court potentially invalidating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) entirely, a district court somewhat surprisingly decided to enforce that same debt exemption. In Tillman v. Navient Sols., LLC, No. 18-CV-04625, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104533 (N.D. Ill. June 15, 2020), the… Continue reading Court Invokes TCPA Debt Exemption Despite Imminent SCOTUS Ruling