A life for the love of life, his country and mankind - Teddy Kennedy went home

and now it's up to us to do all the things, Teddy would have done:

New Rule Prohibiting Unwanted "Robocalls" to Take Effect on September 1

For Release: 08/27/2009
Telemarketers Must Obtain Prior Written Approval from Consumers Who Want to Receive Such Calls

Beginning September 1, 2009, prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls to consumers – commonly known as robocalls – will be prohibited, unless the telemarketer has obtained permission in writing from consumers who want to receive such calls, the Federal Trade Commission announced today.

“American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year,” said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC. “Starting September 1, this bombardment of prerecorded pitches, senseless solicitations, and malicious marketing will be illegal. If consumers think they’re being harassed by robocallers, they need to let us know, and we will go after them.”

The new requirement is part of amendments to the agency’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) that were announced a year ago. After September 1, sellers and telemarketers who transmit prerecorded messages to consumers who have not agreed in writing to accept such messages will face penalties of up to $16,000 per call.

The rule amendments going into effect on September 1 do not prohibit calls that deliver purely “informational” recorded messages – those that notify recipients, for example, that their flight has been cancelled, an appliance they ordered will be delivered at a certain time, or that their child’s school opening is delayed. Such calls are not covered by the TSR, as long as they do not attempt to interest consumers in the sale of any goods or services. For the same reason, the rule amendments also do not apply to calls concerning collection of debts where the calls do not seek to promote the sale of any goods or services.

In addition, calls not covered by the TSR – including those from politicians, banks, telephone carriers, and most charitable organizations – are not covered by the new prohibition. The new prohibition on prerecorded messages does not apply to certain healthcare messages. The new rule prohibits telemarketing robocalls to consumers whether or not they previously have done business with the seller.

Under a previous rule that took effect on December 1, 2008, telemarketing robocall messages by businesses covered by the TSR must tell consumers how to opt-out of further calls at the start of the message, and provide an automated opt-out mechanism that is voice or keypress-activated. Prerecorded messages left on answering machines must also provide a toll-free number that connects to the automated opt-out mechanism.

After September 1, consumers who receive prerecorded telemarketing calls but have not agreed to get them should file a complaint with the Commission, either on the donotcall.gov Web site or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

The Commission’s 2008 press release announcing the changes to the TSR’s prerecorded telemarketing provisions and a link to the related Federal Register notice can be found on the FTC’s Web site at:http://www2.ftc.gov/opa/2008/08/tsr.shtm.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mitchell J. Katz Office of Public Affairs 202-326-2161

 

(FTC File No. R411001)
(Prerecorded Telemarkerting.final.wpd)

The Council on Women and Girls' new site

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH, 2009 AT 12:50 PM

Posted by Christina M. Tchen

Welcome to our new website! As the Executive Director of the Council, I’m very excited to launch this site as we commemorate Women’s Equality Day on August 26. On this day when we remember the bravery and struggles that won women the right to vote, we are very pleased to add this website to share with everyone the work of this Administration to address the issues of concern to women and girls. The mission of the White House Council on Women and Girls is to ensure that every part of the federal government takes into account the needs of women and girls in the policies we draft, the programs we create, the legislation we support. Through this site you will be able to meet the member of the Council and the key staff in each agency who are charged with meeting this charge from the President.

This site also gives you information on the work we have been doing through the Council highlighting the Anniversary of Title IX, working on health reform, and joining the Vice President in the appointment of a White House Advisor to the President on Violence Against Women. We hope that you will come back often for updates as we and each of the members of the Council moves forward with our work. One of our first steps has been for each agency to assess their current resources addressing women and girls, and to begin planning for the future. Those reports have all been submitted to us, we are reviewing them, and we thank everyone in the agencies who worked on them. We will be posting the reports on line in the near future.

I hope that you will use this site and share it with others. We want you to come back and visit us often to learn what is happening throughout the Administration on issues concerning women and girls.

Thank you for your support.

Christina M. Tchen is Executive Director of the Council on Women and Girls and the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement