Ch 11: Telecommunications and Marketing Flashcards
What is the TCPA?
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991
What does the TCPA do?
It places restrictions on unsolicited advertising by telephone and facsimile, and updated them in 2012 to address robocalls.
What is the TSR?
The Telemarketing Sales Rule of 1995 which implemented the Telemarking and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act.
What is Telemarking under the TSR?
A plan, program, or campaign which is conducted to induce the purchase of goods or services or a charitable contribution, by use of one or more telephones and which involves more than one interstate telephone call.
What is the US National DNC Registry?
The best known FTC TSR Requirement. It provides a means for U.S. residents to register residential and wireless phone numbers that they do not wish to be called for telemarketing purposes.
Who enforces the DNC?
The FTC, the FCC and state attorneys general enforce the DNC Registry.
Violations of the DNC Registry can lead to what?
Civil penalties up to 40K per violation, nationwide injunctions, and payment of redress to injured customers.
What does the DNC registry require sellers and telemarketers to do?
- To access the registry prior to making any phone-based solicitations
- To update their call lists every 31 days with the new registry information.
Who do the DNC rules apply to?
For-profit organizations and charitable solicitations placed by for-profit telefunders.
Who do the DNC rules not apply to?
- Nonprofits calling on their own behalf
- Calls to customers with an EBR
- Inbound calls, provided that there is no “upsell” of additional products or services
- Most business-to-business calls
What is the Existing Business Relationship (EBR) exception to the DNC rules?
Sellers (and telemarketers calling on their behalf) may call a consumer with whom a seller has an established business relationship (EBR), provided the consumer has not asked to be on the seller’s entity-specific DNC list.
When is there an EBR?
- When the consumer has purchased, rented or leased the seller’s goods or services (or completed a financial transaction with the seller) within 18 months preceding a telemarketing call. The 18-month period runs from the date of the last payment, transaction or shipment between the consumer and the seller.
- When a prospect has made an application or inquiry regarding the seller’s goods and services. This EBR runs for three months from the date of the person’s inquiry or application.
Does the TSR allow sellers and telemarketers to call consumers who consent to receive such calls?
Yes, but the consent must be:
- in writing
- state the number to which calls may be made
- included the consumer’s signature
What is the DNC Safe Harbor?
Guidance that if sellers and telemarketers follow will reduce their liability by not being subject to civil penalties or sanctions.
What is CAN-SPAM?
The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003.
What does the CAN-SPAM Act do?
It created rules for how legitimate organizations send emails, including clear identification of the sender and a simple unsubscribe or opt-out.
CAN-SPAM does not apply to:
Transactional or relationship messages.
What does the act provide to consumers who might sue?
- Injunctive relief
2. Damages up to $250 per violation, with a max of $2 million
CAN-SPAM prohibits senders from sending any MSCMs without…
the subscriber’s express prior authorization
What act governs the privacy of customer information provided to and obtained by telecommunications carriers?
Telecommunications Act of 1996
What is CPNI?
Customer Proprietary Network Information and is information collected by telecommunications carriers related to their subscribers
What are the opt-in and opt-out requirements of the 2007 CPNI order?
It requires customers to expressly consent, or opt in, before carriers can share their CPNI with joint venture partners and independent contractors for marketing purposes.
What does the 2007 CPNI order require carriers to do?
- Carriers must notify law enforcement when CPNI is disclosed in a security breach within seven business days of that breach.
- Customers must provide a password before they can access their CPNI via telephone or online account services.
What is the VPPA?
The Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988
Videotape are prohibited from what?
From disclosing customer PI unless an enumerated exception applies
Does the VPPA preempt state law?
No
What is the CalOPPA?
The California Online Privacy Protection Act.
What does the CalOPPA do?
Requires operators of commercial websites to conspicuously post a privacy policy is the collect PII from those living in California. The policy must include information on how the operator responds to Do Not Track signals and to state whether 3 parties can collect PII about the site’s users.
What does the DNC registry require sellers and telemarketers to do?
- To access the registry prior to making any phone-based solicitations
- To update their call lists every 31 days with the new registry information
Does the TSR allow sellers and telemarketers to call consumers who consent to receive such calls?
Yes, but consent must be:
- in writing
- state the number which calls may be made
- include consumer’s signature
Videotapes are prohibited from what?
From disclosing customer PI unless an enumerated exception applies
California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
- Requires operators of commercial websites to conspicuously post a privacy policy is the collect PI from those living in California
- The policy must include information on how the operator responds to Do Not Track signals and to state whether 3 parties can collect PI about the site’s users
Does the Video Protection Privacy Act (VPPA) preempt state law?
No
Controlling the Assault of Non-solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act of 2003 and its exceptions
It created rules for how legitimate organizations send email, including clear identification of the sender and a simple or unsubscribe or opt-out
Exceptions:
It does not apply to transactional or relationship messages
Who enforces the DNC?
The FTC, FCC, and the state attorney generals
What does the 2007 Customer Proprietary Information (CPNI) order require carriers to do?
- Carriers must modify law enforcement when CPNI is disclosed in a security breach within 7 business days of that breach
- Customers must provide a password before they can access their CPNI via telephone or online account services
What is the TSR?
The Telemarketing Sales Rule which implemented the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act
Who do the DNC rules apply to?
For-profit organizations and charitable solicitations placed by for-profit telefunders
CAN-SPAM prohobits senders from sending any MSCMs without . . .
the subscriber’s express prior authorization
What is the DNC Safe Harbor?
Guidance that if sellers and telemarketers follow will reduce their liability by not being subject to civil penalties or sanctions
Violations of the DNC Registry can lead to what?
Civil penalties up to 40K per violation, nationwide injunctions, and payment of redress to injured customers
When is there an established business relationship?
- When the consumer has purchased, rented, or leased the seller’s goods or services (or completed a financial transaction with the seller) within 18 months preceding a telemarketing call. The 18-month period runs from the date of the last payment, transaction or shipment between the consumer and the seller.
- When a prospect has made an application or inquiry regarding the seller’s goods and services. The EBR runs for 3 months from the date of the person’s inquiry or application
What act governs the privacy of customer information provided to and obtained by telecommunications carriers?
Telecomunications Act of 1996
What is the Existing Business Relationship exception to the DNC rules?
Selles (and telemarketers calling on their behalf) may call a consumer with whom a seller has an established business relationship, provided the consumer has not asked to be on the seller’s entity-specific DNC list
What does the act provide to consumers who might sue?
- Injunctive relief
2. Damages up to $250 per violation, with a max of $2 million
Intrusion Upon Seclusion
- one of 4 traditional privacy torts
- IOS ” imposes liability on “one who intentionally intrudes, physically or otherwise, upon the solitude or seclusion of another or his private affairs or concerns.”
- To succeed in an intrusion tort claim, the plaintiff must show that “the intrusion would be highly offensive to a reasonable person.”
- In contrast with intrusion tort requirements, telemarketing regulations in the United States address milder intrusions, which do not require a showing of “highly offensive” intrusion.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA)
- FCC issued regs that place restrictions on unsolicited advertising by telephone and fax. Updated in 2012 to address robocalls.
Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR): Background
- FTC issued in 1995.
- Implemented the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act
- FCC has a counterpart rule
TSR: Do Not Call Registry, Background and Enforcement
The FTC, the FCC and state attorneys general enforce the DNC Registry.
- Now contains over 220 million participating phone numbers—and is still growing.
- $40,654 per violation.
- In addition, violators may be subject to nationwide injunctions that prohibit certain conduct and may be required to pay redress to injured consumers.
- Violation to call any number without checking registry first.
Exceptions to DNC Registry
- nonprofits calling on their own behalf
- calls to customers with an existing biz relationship (EBR).
EBR with customer - 18 mo. from last transaction
EBR with prospect - 3 months from application or inquiry - inbound calls, provided no upselling.
- Most BtoB calls
- Consent - in writing, with signature, clear n’ conspicuous
DNC Registry: Safe Harbor
Safe Harbor = [I]f a seller or telemarketer can establish that as part of its routine business practice, it meets the following requirements, it will not be subject to civil penalties or sanctions for erroneously calling a consumer who has asked not to be called, or for calling a number on the National Registry:
• The seller or telemarketer has established and implemented written procedures to honor consumers’ requests that they not be called, [and]
• The seller or telemarketer has trained its personnel, and any entity assisting in its compliance, in these procedures, [and]
• The seller, telemarketer, or someone else acting on behalf of the seller . . . has maintained and recorded an entity-specific Do Not Call list, [and]
• The seller or telemarketer uses, and maintains records documenting, a process to prevent calls to any telephone number on an entity-specific Do Not Call list or the National Do Not Call Registry. This, provided that the latter process involves using a version of the National Registry from the FTC no more than 31 days before the date any call is made, [and]
• The seller, telemarketer, or someone else acting on behalf of the seller. . . monitors and enforces compliance with the entity’s written Do Not Call procedures, [then]
• The call is a result of error.
TSR - How Calls Can be Made under Telemarketing Laws
The TSR requires covered organizations to:
• Call only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
• Screen and scrub names against the national DNC list
• Display caller ID information
• Identify themselves and what they are selling
• Disclose all material information and terms
• Comply with special rules for prizes and promotions
• Respect requests to call back
• Retain records for at least 24 hours
• Comply with special rules for automated dialers
TSR - Entity-Specific Suppression Lists
- Consumers can put number on DNC Registry, or ask not be called again by the TMer/Seller. TMer/Seller required to maintain internal suppression lists to respect these DNC requests.
- If distinction between 2 divisions of one TMer/Seller (operational structure wise and types of goods/services wise), then request not have to be honored by one division if made by consumer to other division.
TSR Required Disclosures at Beginning of Call
The TSR requires that, at the beginning of the call, before delivering any sales content, telemarketers disclose:
• The identity of the seller
• That the purpose of the call is to sell goods or services
• The nature of those goods or services
• In the case of a prize promotion, that no purchase or payment is necessary to participate or win, and that a purchase or payment does not increase the chances of winning
Note that disclosures must be truthful.
Note: If made for multiple purposes, disclosures must be made for all SALES purposes.
TSR : Broad Categories of Information that Must Always Be Disclosed
- Cost and quantity
- Material restrictions, limitations, or conditions
- Performance, efficacy, or central characteristics
- Refund, repurchase or cancellation policies
- Material aspects of prize promotions
- Material aspect of investment opportunities
- Affiliations, endorsements, or sponsorships
- Credit card loss protection
- Negative option features
- Debt relief services
Note: For newer payment methods must now meet higher standard for authorizing a payment.