An appeal by the telemarketing industry to end the
do-not-call list has been rejected by a federal appeals
court. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver
rejected arguments the list violates the free speech of
telemarketers. The judges said that the list’s limits on
speech are balanced by the protection of people’s
privacy.
In its Feb.17 decision, the court said the registry is a “valid commercial speech regulation” because it “directly advances” the government’s interest in protecting personal privacy.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Timothy Muris, in a statement, says the telemarketing industry has adjusted well to the do-not-call new rules. “The telemarketing industry has shown exceptional compliance with the national do-not-call registry,” Muris says. “The do-not-call program has been highly successful in protecting consumers’ privacy.”
