FTC Proposes Changes to TSR
The Federal Trade Commission today proposed changes to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) to reduce the annoyance of unwanted telephone solicitations and protect consumers from unauthorized charges on their credit-card bills. The proposal is a key component of the privacy initiative that FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris announced in early October. Chief among the agency's proposals is the creation of a national "do-not-call" registry; consumers could make a single call to this registry to get their names removed from many telemarketing lists, and telemarketers could face a fine of up to $11,000 for calling homes that were on this list. Additionally, the FTC proposed that telemarketers would be barred from exchanging, selling or buying any billing information about customers. In many cases, consumers are not aware that telemarketers already have their credit card number so consumers don't realize they've agreed to buy something. The Commission is accepting public comments via e-mail and a web page.EPIC Telemarketing Page.
FTC Proposes National "Do Not Call" Registry, FTC Press Release, January 22, 2002.
Your Opportunity to Comment, FTC Website.
FTC Proposes New Rules To Restrict Telemarketers, Washington Post, January 22, 2002.
