Despite record number of complaints, businesses are pleading to Congress to soften up on the TCPA laws. Americans have made it clear, through complaints to the FCC, FTC and state Attorney Generals, that they want companies to stop making robocalls to their phones. Regardless of this outcry from consumers, companies are asking Congress to loosen up on the Telephone Communications Protection Act (TCPA) rules and regulations and lower the penalties.

Complaints about Robocalls

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency in charge of asserting TCPA law, the first four months of 2016 brought in more than 1.6 million complaints from consumers about calls they received which were unwanted or unsolicited. Out of those complaints, 64 percent of them, which translates to 1.1 million complaints, were pertaining to robocalls. Consumer Reports estimated that 35 percent of all phone calls made in the U.S. are robocalls.

Defrauding Consumers with “Offensive and Sinister” Calls

Bikram Bandy, who is ahead of the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry, says, “In the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion of these illegal calls. Many of the complaints about robocalls are linked to companies that are trying to defraud consumers.” One victim of robocalls told NBC News that his landline and cell phone were inundated with robocalls adding up to dozens of calls each day. He added that many of the calls were “offensive and sinister.”

Arguments for Weakening the Law

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is one of the entities requesting that Congress weaken currently updated TCPA laws. They are seeking to put the burden on the consumers and protect business. Other business groups are asking for lower damages, which would make it harder to bring a lawsuit since the TCPA does not provide the prevailing party attorney fees.

However, consumers are opposed to softening the TCPA laws and appreciate the protections that it provides them from unsolicited calls.

Keogh Law Ltd. agrees with consumers and is here to help you if you have received phone calls that violate the TCPA laws. Our experienced Chicago robocall attorneys know the TCPA laws inside and out and will fight to not only put a stop to the calls, but to also get the compensation you deserve for the violations. Contact or call our office today at (866) 726 1092 to discuss your case for free.