FTC's new telemarketing rules

[zakur]

Final Telemarketing Sales Rule Amendments Published in Federal Register (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/01/tsrfrnfinal.htm)The Federal Trade Commission announced that today's edition of the Federal Register will officially publish the amended Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), which provides for a national "do not call" registry that will empower consumers to stop most unwanted telemarketing calls. The amended TSR - with the specific exception of those provisions related to the national "do not call" registry and Caller-ID requirements for telemarketers - will go into effect on March 31, 2003, 60 days after today's Federal Register publication.The entire text of the rule can be read here (http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/03-1811.pdf).

Of course, Telemarketers don't like it. From this story (http://washingtontimes.com/business/20030201-72720592.htm):The Direct Marketing Association and four telemarketing companies said the FTC's registry effort would violate free-speech laws and discriminate against an industry.Free speech?! Have they recruited the ACLU yet? ;)

[Stimpson J. Cat]

It's not a free-speach issue at all. The right to call people on the phone is not free-speach, nor is it in any way protected by the 1st Amendment.

Some people seem to think that freedom of speach means that you have the right to make people listen to you. That is nonsense.

Dr. Stupid

[arcticpenguin]

Does anyone know anything about the "Caller ID provisions"? Are they gonna be forced to reveal their numbers, or is it a loophole in the opposite direction?

[ssibal]

Whenever a telemarketer calls here, I answer with one of these:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/soundboards.shtml

They are good for laughs when you confuse or anger the telemarketer.

[zakur]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
Does anyone know anything about the "Caller ID provisions"? Are they gonna be forced to reveal their numbers, or is it a loophole in the opposite direction? The new rules will require telemarketers to transmit Caller-ID information, so that consumers who subscribe to Caller-ID services will know who is calling.

The new rules also include a provision prohibiting "Call Abandonment." You know, when you pick up the phone and you get either dead air or a dial tone. This happens when a telemarketer uses auto-dialers that call several numbers at once, making more calls that connect to consumers than there are available sales representatives to handle the calls.

You can read a summary of the proposed rules here (http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/12/donotcall.htm).

[Skeptic]

As usual, the ONION saw this one coming a mile away... recent headline: "Anti-spam regulations blocked by powerful penis enlargement lobby".