New Push from Certain States and FTC to Eliminate Robocalls

The Federal Trade Commission—along with 17 individual states—have pushed forward a new plan in an attempt to help eliminate robocalls and other unwanted telemarketing.

According to USA Today, the FTC is working with enforcers from California, Florida, and 15 other states to implement a large scale crackdown, which they are referring to as “Operation Call it Quits.” The plan is to help eliminate unwanted calls and robocalls, which are the number one complaint to the FTC. Telemarketers have been using robocalls for years to sell products and services to unsuspecting consumers, and this accounts for countless unsolicited calls to people all across the country.

Although there are ways to help individuals eliminate robocalls, such as joining the national Do Not Call registry and reporting robocalls to the government, this new push to crack down on the much-hated practice will target a slew of telemarketing operations reportedly responsible for more than 1 billion unsolicited calls.

As reported by Law360, a total of 94 new TCPA cases, enforcement actions, and settlements were recently announced, including a multimillion dollar settlement deal that the FTC filed jointly with the Florida attorney general’s office in June 2015.

This particular lawsuit accused Lifewatch, a heart monitoring company, of targeting the elderly with their product. The calls were meant to pitch “free” medical alert systems, but resulted in more than a billion unsolicited robocalls.

A settlement has been reached in the Lifewatch case, amounting to $25.3 million against the company. Two of its business partners face an additional $8.9 million.

“We’re all fed up with the tens of billions of illegal robocalls we get every year,” said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement reported by Law360. “Today’s joint effort shows that combatting this scourge remains a top priority for law enforcement agencies around the nation.”

The Illinois attorney general, Kwame Raoul, is also involved in this push against robocalls and has lodged a lawsuit against two companies over illegal robocalling.

“Robocalls cost consumers time and money, and violate their privacy,” said Raoul in a statement. “I am proud to be part of this joint effort to take further action to stop this illegal and intrusive practice.”

Filing a TCPA Lawsuit

According to the FCC, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991 was enacted to protect consumers against unwanted solicitation using technology.

Since the TCPA was first introduced, the laws have been expanded to account for new technologies used by telemarketers. Now, technologies like robocalls, unsolicited text messages, opt-out options, and more are included under TCPA regulations.

While this new crackdown is a good sign that progress is happening in the effort to eliminate robocalls, it can’t make up for robocalls you’ve already been hit with. If you been hit with unsolicited robocalls, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Reporting violations of the TCPA can also help hold companies responsible for their actions.

Keep records of unwanted messages or robocalls that you believe violate the TCPA as evidence to ensure that your lawsuit is as effective as possible.

Join a Free TCPA Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were contacted on your cell phone by a company via an unsolicited text message (text spam) or prerecorded voice message (robocall), you may be eligible for compensation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.