After two and a half years, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a highly anticipated ruling reviewing the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC” or “Commission”) July 2015 Declaratory Ruling and Order (“2015 Order”) in which the FCC issued interpretative guidance on several aspects of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (”TCPA”). Over
Federal Communications Commission
FCC Adopts New Privacy Rules
Late last month, the Federal Communications Commission adopted new privacy rules for broadband Internet service providers (ISPs). We first discussed this topic in March when the proposal was introduced by the FCC Chairman. The rules are intended to protect the privacy of consumers and to provide customers with meaningful choice, greater transparency, and strong security …
FCC Chair Proposes New Broadband Rules
One year ago, in March 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) reclassified broadband Internet access service as a common carrier Telecommunications Service subject to regulation under Title II of the Communications Act. At that time, however, the FCC recognized that the then-current rules were not well suited to broadband privacy. On March 10, 2016, the…
FCC Data Security Enforcement Continues
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FCC Settles First Data Security Action
UPDATE: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has reached a settlement with two telecom companies in connection with allegations the telecom companies violated the law regarding the privacy of phone customers’ personal information.
As we previously reported and discussed, in October 2014 the FCC initiated its first data security case against TerraCom, Inc. and
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FCC Releases TCPA Omnibus Declaratory Ruling
As anticipated, on July 10, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Omnibus Declaratory Ruling which had previously been approved on June 18, 2015. The Declaratory Ruling takes effect immediately.
In short, the Declaratory Ruling provides numerous rulings including:
- Dialing equipment that simply has the capacity to store
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FCC Strengthens Consumer Protections Under TCPA
Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a package of declaratory ruling which is meant to provide clarity to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This ruling was previously proposed by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on May 27, 2015.
According to the FCC, the declaratory ruling is meant to protect consumers against unwanted robocalls and…
FCC Chairman Circulates Proposal to Address TCPA Violations
Last week, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler circulated proposed declaratory rulings to provide clarity for consumers and businesses regarding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The proposal addresses two dozen petitions that sought clarity on how the FCC enforced the TCPA. In addition to circulating his proposal to the other FCC commissioners for…
FCC Promises Action Against Those Who Fail to Safeguard
On December 19, 2014, the FCC published Chairman Thomas Wheeler‘s response to Senator Bill Nelson’s (D-FL) letter regarding the FCC’s recent proposed $10 million fine against two telecom companies.
In the response, Chairman Wheeler reiterated the need for FCC action in this area and explained that consumers regularly entrust their most personal, confidential,…
FCC Seeks Comment on Exemption Petition Re: Breach Notification
Many of us have likely received a notification from our bank or credit card company concerning suspected fraud or improper charges. However, the legality of those messages is not always clear. To this end, on October 14, 2014, the American Bankers Association (Association) filed a petition for exemption requesting that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)…