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Senator Opposes Changes to National Do Not Call ListBoynton Beach, Fla. - U.S. Senator Bill Nelson Monday called on the federal agency responsible for overseeing the national Do Not Call Registry to scrap a proposed rule that would allow companies to deliver taped telephone messages to millions of Americans on the list. In a letter sent Monday to the head of the Federal Trade Commission, Nelson said granting an exception to allow for pre-recorded calls could lead to a further erosion of consumer privacy. He unveiled the letter in a speech before a gathering of senior citizens in Boynton Beach. "The government must do all it can to keep unwanted communication out of people's homes," Nelson said. With his letter to the FTC, Nelson joins one of the nation's leading consumer privacy organizations, The Electronic Privacy Information Center, in opposing the measure. The Federal Trade Commission proposed altering the Do Not Call rules after a telemarketing firm requested the change. The firm and the commission have argued that changing the rule would make the FTC's policy identical to that of the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC's Do Not Call rules allow businesses to send pre-recorded telephone calls to their customers. Nelson contends the Do Not Call Registry is working and that changing the rule would open a loophole that could subject millions of Americans to unwanted solicitations, via telephone and voice-mail. The FTC has set a January 20th deadline to receive input from the public on the proposed rule before making its final decision. The commission has established a website https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-tsr/ to take public comment. Source: http://www.gallerywatch.com |