Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulates telemarketing calls, auto-dialed calls, prerecorded calls, text messages and unsolicited faxes. The FCC is empowered to issue rules and regulations implementing the TCPA.
Key legal considerations include, without limitation, whether an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) or pre-recorded voice is used when making the call, whether the recipient provided prior express written consent, whether the number phoned is a landline or residential line, whether the recipient’s telephone number is registered on a state or federal Do Not Call (DNA) list, whether an exemption from prior express written consent applies and whether consent has been revoked.
SCOTUS Brief Filed in Favor of Expansive Interpretation of ATDS
The Plaintiff in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid has recently filed its merits brief on this issue of whether the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s definition of “automatic telephone dialing system,” 47 U.S.C. § 227(a)(1), encompasses a device that can store and automatically dial telephone numbers without using a random or sequential number generator. The Supreme Court case…
Read Article...Second Circuit Weighs in on Definition of TCPA Autodialer
On April 7, 2020, the Second Circuit further muddied the Telephone Consumer Protection Act “automatic telephone dialing system” definition debate. In Duran v. LaBoom Disco, Inc., the Second Circuit split from recent Seventh and Eleventh Circuit decisions that aligned with the statutory language in requiring “random and sequential number generation.” Here, the Second Circuit held…
Read Article...Richard B. Newman Featured in DataGuidance on TCPA ATDS Definition
Telemarketing lawyer Richard B. Newman was recently featured in DataGuidance, a global privacy and regulatory compliance platform used by privacy professionals worldwide. The article, entitled “Diverging Court Decisions Over Definition of ATDS Under TCPA,” assesses recent judicial decisions pertaining to how an automated telephone dialing system should be defined under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.…
Read Article...Second Circuit Nixes Attempt to “Pick Off” Lead Plaintiff
Earlier this month in the TCPA litigation matter of Lary v. Rexall Sundown, Inc., the Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected attempts to “pick off” the lead plaintiff, intended to effectively moot class action litigation. The matter involves a nutritional supplement maker and the marketing company that allegedly sent an unauthorized fax on its behalf.…
Read Article...Are You Prepared for the New TCPA Express Consent Rules?
Beginning October 16, 2013, with limited exception, prior express written consent will be required for certain telemarketing calls or text messages, specifically, autodialed and pre-recorded calls to mobile phones, and pre-recorded residential calls. Companies should deliberately review their marketing practices, guidelines, agreements with third party marketers and in-house training processes to ensure compliance with the…
Read Article...Cellular Telephone Considered “Computer” Within the Meaning of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has ruled that a cellular telephone, even one lacking Internet access, is a “computer” within the meaning of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (United States v. Kramer, 8th Cir., No. 10-1983, 2/8/11). According to the Court of Appeals, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”) defines the…
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