The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is dramatically increasing its efforts to deter the marketing and sale cellphone jamming devices, as reflected in a series of recent enforcement efforts against device resellers.
In the space of just two weeks during late January through early February 2011, the FCC issued citations against three online resellers for marketing cellphone jamming devices through their websites. Two of the resellers, DeadlyDeal.com and ContrexCommunications.com, admitted listing such devices for sale, but informed the Commission that they had immediately removed from their website any and all references to cellphone jamming devices. The third reseller, DealExtreme.com, has not yet responded to the FCC.
Separately, the Commission has also issued a citation against a Georgia company for marketing a device named the TxTStopper. According to the company, Share Enterprises, the TxTStopper was specifically designed as a safety device to prevent texting and cellphone communications within a moving vehicle. However, subsequent testing by agents concluded that the TxTStopper was a cellphone jamming device that effectively blocked cellphone communication both inside and outside of the vehicle.
Finally, in perhaps the most egregious case related to the illegal marketing and sale of cellphone jamming devices, the Chinese company that manufacturers the TxTStopper has been ordered to show cause why an FCC-issued equipment authorization should not be revoked, in light of evidence that the company applied a legally obtained FCC ID to the illegal cellphone jamming device. Should the Commission’s investigation substantiate the allegations, the company could face a financial penalty in the amount of $112,500.
More information about the above citations is available at http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0126/DA-11-125A1.pdf (DeadlyDeal.com), http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0126/DA-11-135A1.pdf (ContrexCommunications.com), http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0209/DA-11-248A1.pdf (DealExtreme.Com), and http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0209/DA-11-247A1.pdf (Share Enterprises). The Order to Show Cause issued to Shenzhen Tangreat Technology, the manufacturer of the TxTStopper, is available at http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0209/DA-11-246A1.pdf.
