The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) is the primary law in the U.S. governing the conduct of telemarketers. Its primary regulator is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The TCPA restricts the use of dialers, prerecorded voice messages, SMS text messages received by cell phones, and the use of fax machines. Even though the law was not designed with ARM in mind, debt collectors often find themselves restricted in the communication technology they can use. In addition, contradictory guidance from regulators and court rulings has led to an explosion in the number of TCPA cases collection agencies must defend.

insideARM maintains an abundance of information about TCPA developments related to the ARM industry. View our case law grid here, and our TCPA Toolbox here.

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File drawer with one folder in focus, labeled "Court Decisions" [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Pennsylvania District Court Finds No Personal Liability Under the TCPA

28 February 2024

File drawer with one folder in focus, labeled "Court Decisions" [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Speak for Yourself: Court Denies Class Certification in TCPA Case Based on Class Members’ Potentially Mixed Reactions to Ringless Voicemail Messages

31 January 2024

Woman looking at cell phone [Image by creator leungchopan from AdobeStock]

Arizona Federal District Court Holds MMS’s Are Not Prerecorded Messages Under the TCPA Unless They Play Automatically

18 December 2023

Image of a neon bright yellow outline of a wired phone handset against a black background [Image by creator SergeyNivens from AdobeStock]

Statement a Company Used an “Autodialer” Not Sufficient To Win TCPA Suit Appellate Court Holds

31 August 2023

A person holding a mobile phone that appears to have illustrated white charts, graphs, and dollar signs popping out of it [Image by creator ra2 studio from AdobeStock]

Ninth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of TCPA Case Involving Text Messages Holding “Prerecorded Voice Messages” Require Audible Component

22 August 2023

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6th Cir. Holds Single Ringless Voicemail Enough for Article III Standing in TCPA Case

25 July 2023

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FCC Proposes New Rules for Revocation Under the TCPA

24 July 2023

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Navigate the New TCPA

18 July 2023

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Treble Trouble in Paradise: Court Refuses to Treble Jury’s $8,500 TCPA Award to Plaintiff

26 April 2023

Image of a neon bright yellow outline of a wired phone handset against a black background [Image by creator SergeyNivens from AdobeStock]

TCPAWorld’s (Second Annual) Definitive List of the Top 10 Most Dangerous Plaintiff’s Firms Out There

16 March 2023

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TCPA Rulings Confirms Criminal Penalties for Failing to Register in Rhode Island

9 February 2023

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FCC Issues Mixed-Bag Amended TCPA Exemptions Order

8 February 2023

Image of a neon bright yellow outline of a wired phone handset against a black background [Image by creator SergeyNivens from AdobeStock]

9th Cir. Holds TCPA Autodialer Must Generate and Dial Random or Sequential Phone Numbers

19 January 2023

Image of a neon bright yellow outline of a wired phone handset against a black background [Image by creator SergeyNivens from AdobeStock]

FCC Chairwoman Just Asked Congress to Expand the TCPA’s Autodialer Definition and its Worth Paying Attention to

9 January 2023

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Ninth Circuit Puts New Limits on Aggregate Statutory Awards Following Remand of Nearly $1 Billion TCPA Judgment

7 December 2022

A person holding a mobile phone that appears to have illustrated white charts, graphs, and dollar signs popping out of it [Image by creator ra2 studio from AdobeStock]

Text Messages Are Still Not Voices

6 December 2022

Phone with "voice mail" text on it [Image by creator iQoncept from AdobeStock]

FCC Rules Ringless Voicemails Require Consent

5 December 2022

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“Routine Practice Evidence” Carries the Day for TCPA Defendant on Summary Judgment

22 September 2022

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Third Circuit Adopts “Reasonable Reader” Standard for Evaluating Whether a Credit Report Is Inaccurate or Misleading

17 August 2022

File drawer with one folder in focus, labeled "Court Decisions" [Image by creator tashatuvango from AdobeStock]

Court Finds Servicer’s Neutrally-Worded Voicemail Advising of Payment Options Does Not Constitute Debt Collection

11 August 2022