The Federal Trade Commission’s recently launched interactive website showing do-not-call (DNC) and robocall data signals a “significantly increased focus” on autodialer and customer phone call consent issues, McGlinchey Stafford attorney Robert Savoie said, noting that the scrutiny is likely to lead to increased investigations.
However, there might be a silver lining, Savoie said. “Given that the FTC is primarily focused on bad actors, it could end up being good for the industry if the FTC chooses to make the process for avoiding unwanted calls an easier one,” he added.
The webpage, which went live on Monday, shows information about the National DNC Registry and unwanted telemarketing robocalls. Visitors can interactively hover over certain states to see data about what complaint topics were most common, the volume of complaints trending over time, and whether complaints were made about robocalls or live callers. The website also includes basic DNC and robocall stats, such as the number of consumers with numbers on the registry and the number of robocall complaints per month.
The new website is a part of the FTC’s ongoing strategy to disseminate DNC and robocall data more frequently and in a more accessible way. Robocalling and consumer telephone consent have recently come under the regulatory microscope, specifically as they relate to autodialers, reassigned phone numbers and customers flip-flopping on consent.
The information will be updated quarterly. Previously, DNC and robocall data was made available to the public annually.
