Communications

CFA Calls on FCC to Reconsider Ruling on Robocalls, Protect Consumers from Debt Collectors

In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, CFA and other consumer rights organizations have asked for reconsideration and for a stay of the FCC’s declaratory ruling stating that federal contractors “validly authorized to act as the government’s agent[s]” and “acting within the scope of [their] contractual relationship with the government” are not “persons” under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and are thus not covered by the statute’s prohibitions. The Commission’s ruling is contrary to the TCPA and is a dangerous interpretation of the law. The TCPA unquestionably applies to contractors of the federal government, regardless of their agency status. If the Commission does not reconsider and change its ruling in this proceeding, tens of millions of Americans will find their cell phones flooded with unwanted robocalls from federal contractors with no means of stopping these calls and no remedies to enforce their requests to stop these calls.