FTC Settles with Robocallers

The FCC announced it has settled with four different entities responsible for bombarding consumers nationwide with billions of unwanted and illegal robocalls pitching auto warranties, debt-relief services, home security systems, fake charities, and Google search results services.  The FTC accused them of violating the FTC Act and the agency’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), including its Do Not Call (DNC) provisions.  Under the settlements, the defendants are banned from robocalling and most telemarketing activities, including those using an automatic dialer, and will pay significant financial judgments. The defendant in one of these cases provided the software platform that resulted in more than one billion illegal robocalls.  Specifically, the FTC charged the defendants with initiating or causing the initiation of: 1) calls with unlawful prerecorded messages; 2) calls to numbers on the DNC Registry; and 3) calls with spoofed caller IDs. The complaint also charged them with assisting and facilitating TSR violations by others

The orders against Salisbury and World Connection, S.A. impose $2.7 million judgments against each of them; the order against World Connection, LLC imposes a $1 million judgment. The judgment against Salisbury will be partially suspended upon payment of $50,000 to the Commission. The judgments against World Connection, S.A. and World Connection, LLC are fully suspended, due to their inability to pay.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

The Regulatory Mix Today: FTC Settles with Robocallers, FTC Agenda for 12th Session on Competition and Consumer Protection, FCC’s Carr on the Communications Job Training Act 

FTC Agenda for 12th Session on Competition and Consumer Protection

FTC announces the agenda for the 12th session of its Hearings Initiative, which will occur on April 9-10, 2019 and focus on the FTC’s approach to consumer privacy.

FTC Chairman Joe Simons will deliver opening remarks to kick-off the two-day session. Commissioners Noah Joshua Phillips and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter will also deliver remarks during the two-day session.

The hearing’s first day will feature panel discussions on the goals of privacy protection; data sensitivity; consumer demand and expectations for privacy; and current approaches to privacy. The second day will include discussions on notice and choice; access, deletion and correction; accountability; and whether the FTC’s current authority is adequate for protecting consumer privacy.

FCC’s Carr on the Communications Jobs Training Act 

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr applauded the introduction of the “Communications Jobs Training Act of 2019.” The legislation would create a competitive grant program, administered through the FCC, to establish or expand training programs for communications tower jobs.  Carr said: “To ensure that America wins the race to 5G, we need to double the number of tower crews that are building this next-generation infrastructure. There is demand for up to 20,000 more tower workers. These are good-paying, 5G jobs. And as I’ve seen firsthand, America’s tower crews are unmatched in their skill, professionalism, and dedication. So I applaud Congressmen Loebsack and Mullin for their leadership and work to expand this skilled workforce. By creating a pipeline of talented tower crews, we can help extend America’s global leadership in wireless.”

____________________________

The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.