The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed that a New Mexico company pay a fine of more than $2.9 million for making illegal computer-generated phone calls (“robocalls”) to mobile phones.
According to the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, the company, Dialing Services LLC of Roswell, New Mexico, reportedly made more than 4.7 million robocalls to consumer mobile phones without permission during the period of the 2012 election. The FCC cited the company in March 2013 for that activity, warning that future violations could result in further enforcement actions. However, the company allegedly made at least 184 additional robocalls subsequent to the Commission’s warning, which resulted in the proposed financial penalty.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act prohibits robocalls to mobile phones except for emergency purposes and in cases where a consumer has provided prior consent for such calls. Unlike landline phones, to which political campaign calls are exempt from do not call regulations, there is no exemption for political calls made to mobile phones.