The ABCs of the TCPA: A Primer on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) and the FCC’s implementing regulations restrict calling, texting, and faxing activities such as telemarketing, debt collection, and sharing important information to consumers, students, or employees. Those restrictions affect virtually every industry, including telecommunications, education, utilities, financial services, healthcare, insurance, pharmaceuticals, retail, and shipping, to name just a few. Despite an explosion in class action litigation caused by the TCPA’s uncapped statutory damages of $500 to $1,500 per violation, many businesses remain unaware of these restrictions or unable to keep up with how the FCC and courts have interpreted them.

Presented by Drinker Biddle & Reath partners Michael Day, Meredith Slawe, Michael W. McTigue Jr., and Justin O. Kay, this program provides a primer on the TCPA and examines recent developments in regulation and litigation under the statute.

Learning Objectives:

I.     Understand the background and requirements of the TCPA and related regulations

II.    Review how the FCC and the courts have interpreted the statute and regulations

III.   Identify common compliance traps that have been targeted by plaintiffs

IV.   Examine best practices for avoiding or mitigating the risk of TCPA litigation