The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the adoption of a new policy to address the issue of unwanted telemarketing robocalls and robotexts. This policy, which was requested by Attorney General Jason Miyares of Virginia, aims to protect consumers from deceptive practices employed by lead generating businesses.
Under the previous rule, consumers were often misled into consenting to receive telecommunications from a single company, only to be bombarded with numerous unwanted calls and text messages from multiple industry competitors. The FCC's new policy requires "one-to-one consent," preventing lead generators from obtaining consent on behalf of multiple businesses or sellers.
Attorney General Miyares, who had joined a bipartisan coalition of 29 states in urging the FCC to enact this requirement, expressed his satisfaction with the decision. He stated, "Virginians are sick and tired of the seemingly endless robocalls and texts. I'm glad that the FCC accepted my recommendation and drawn a clear line in the sand by adopting the one-to-one consent rule to protect consumers from lead generating businesses' predatory practices."
The adoption of this policy is expected to reduce the number of unwanted and harassing telemarketing calls, bringing more peace to Virginians. It addresses a common lead generation practice where consumers are offered a quote for a good or service online, but in order to receive the quote, they have to agree to receive calls and/or texts from the lead generator's marketing partners. This often results in receiving communications from thousands of different businesses, offering various goods or services.
Attorneys general from various states, including Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, and Illinois, joined Virginia in supporting this policy change. The collaborative effort aimed to protect consumers across the country from the deceptive practices of lead generating businesses.
Attorney General Miyares emphasized the importance of this bipartisan effort and rule change, stating that it will bring relief to consumers who have long been plagued by unwanted robocalls and texts. The FCC's decision to implement the one-to-one consent requirement will undoubtedly provide greater protection for consumers and ensure a safer telecommunications landscape.
For media inquiries, please contact Victoria LaCivita at (804) 588-2021 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For more information, please visit the Office of the Attorney General's website or refer to the June letter sent to the FCC by the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general.
Click this link to access more information: https://www.oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases/2658-december-15-2023-fcc-adopts-new-unwanted-telemarketing-robocall-and-robotext-policy-requested-by-attorney-general-miyares