CFA, National Consumer Law Center, and other public interest groups have filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oppose the request for a declaratory ruling to allow unfettered voicemail messages to clutter the voicemail boxes of consumers’ cell phones. The petition in this case seeks to permit voicemail messages that are inserted into consumers’ cell phone voicemail boxes without ringing the cell phones to be exempt from the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Yet these voicemail messages are just as invasive, expensive, and annoying as calls and texts to cell phones. Granting the petitioner’s request would allow telemarketing and debt collection messages to overwhelm the voicemail boxes of consumers. Unlike their ability to limit calls and texts, consumers have no way to limit, restrict or block unwanted voicemail messages from particular callers.

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