FTC Sends Biennial Report to Congress on the National Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Trade Commission has approved a biennial report to Congress focusing on the use of the Do Not Call Registry by both consumers and businesses over the past two years, as well as the impact that new technologies have had on the Registry.

As detailed in the report, the Do Not Call Registry now has more than 209 million active registrations, and more than eight million new phone numbers were registered in Fiscal Year 2011. During that time, approximately 35,000 sellers, telemarketers, and exempt organizations such as charities subscribed to access the Registry, paying fees totaling more than $13.7 million. The report concludes that since its inception, the Registry has successfully accepted consumer registrations and complaints, allowed businesses to obtain access to Registry data, and provided law enforcement with the tools needed to investigate complaints and bring appropriate actions.

The Commission vote approving transmittal of the report to Congress was 4-0. The report is required by The Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007. It can be found on the FTC's website. (FTC File No. P034305; the staff contact for the report is Amy Deziekan, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2648.)