DM News: FCC: AT&T Fails to Honor No-Call Requests

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) startled the telemarketing industry yesterday by announcing its plan to seek $780,000 from AT&T for allegedly violating its policy of not calling people who have asked not to be called again. Where many telemarketers had scoffed at likelihood that the FCC would do anything more than sternly insist names be taken off call lists, they now find themselves at the pointy end of a $10,000-per-violation stick.

Different sources believe that this enforcement action is either a part of the Do-Not-Call Registry enforcement, or alternately they believe that this action stems from a prior investigation. In either case, it shows a deliberate intent to make a statement to telemarketers, one that could quickly translate to email marketing, given pending legislation.