Automated Robo-calls Would Have Grossly Eroded Consumers’ Right to Cell Phone Privacy
Chicago–(ENEWSPF)–December 16, 2011. After overwhelming opposition mounted by Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and their counterparts across the country, legislation to allow for robo-calls to consumers’ cell phones was taken out of consideration in Congress this week.
Madigan applauded the move, saying H.R. 3035, or the “Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011” amounted to nothing more than a bad deal for consumers. The bill would have required consumers to pay for the cost of unwanted solicitation calls without their explicit consent.
“This legislation would have opened the floodgates for telemarketers to annoy us with robo-calls to our cell phones at all hours of the day,” Attorney General Madigan said. “I appreciate everyone who voiced their disapproval of this invasion of our privacy to Congress and stopped this bill.”
Madigan said the bill would have given businesses the green light to place automated robo-calls to any consumer who has provided their telephone number in the course of a transaction. Currently, federal law allows robo-calls to be placed only to people who have given their explicit consent to receive them or in case of an emergency. The bill would have particularly impacted consumers who pay by the minute or have a limited number of minutes.
Madigan and attorneys general nationwide sent a letter to members of Congress earlier this month urging lawmakers to reject the proposal.
Source: illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
