The period designated for comments on the Federal Communications Commission’s proposal on whether it should change its rules that restrict telemarketing calls, including the creation of a national do-no-call list, is winding down.
Comments need to be submitted by Jan. 31. The FCC has already received about 6,100 remarks since the comment period began in September, spokesperson Rosemary Kimball said.
The commission has asked for comment on:
*Whether the FCC’s rules need to be revised to carry out more effectively Congress’s directives in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 that individual’s privacy rights, public safety interests and commercial freedom of speech and trade be balanced in a way that protects the privacy of individuals and permits legitimate telemarketing practices.
*Whether the commission should refine its existing rules, or adopt additional rules, on the use of autodialers, prerecorded messages, and unsolicited facsimile advertisements to account for technological developments in recent years and emerging telemarketing practices.
*The effectiveness of company-specific do-not-call lists.
*Whether to revisit the option of establishing a national do-not-call list and, if so, how such action might be taken in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission’s decision to adopt a national do-not-call list, and the various state do-not-call lists.
The FCC has twice extended the comment period to accommodate for the large amount of interest in the issue and to allow time for viewing the FTC’s proposal for its do-not-call registry, Kimball said.
The FTC announced its plan in December to create a national list along with other changes to its Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FTC is currently awaiting the authorization of $16 million in federal funding to get the do-not-call project underway.
Comments for the FCC should be sent to the Office of the Secretary, 445 12th St. SW, Washington, DC, 20054 or can be submitted online at www.fcc.gov and link to the filing comments section in the left column.
