On November 21, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Declaratory Ruling and Order finding that companies must obtain consent before sending a “ringless voicemail” to a consumer’s phone because it constitutes a “call” made using an artificial or prerecorded voice and is subject to the provisions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). “Ringless voicemails” are messages sent directly to voicemail inboxes without first triggering a call ringtone. The FCC found the calls should be regulated under the artificial or prerecorded voice prong of the statute, mooting any inquiry as to whether the “ringless voicemails” are sent with an automatic telephone dialing system.
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Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to crack down on harmful commercial surveillance and lax data security. The proposed rule included a broad definition of “commercial surveillance," which, if left unchanged, would prevent debt collection industry participants from providing consumers with the information they request and require to engage in financial transactions. On November 21, 2022, the Consumer Relations Consortium (CRC) submitted comments to the FTC explaining that other laws and regulations cover these objectives for the financial services industry.
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