Heard a lot about what folks are concerned about in the industry. Still seems to be a lot of confusion about it. So let me help with some answers to critical questions.
None of this is legal advice. Absolutely critical you hire a lawyer–AND A GOOD ONE–to assist you here. But this should help orient.
What is the new FCC One-to-One Ruling?
The FCC’s one-to-one ruling is a new federal regulation that alters the TCPA’s express written consent definition in a manner that requires consumers to select each “seller”–that is the ultimate good or service provider–the consumer chooses to receive calls from individually.
The ruling also limits the scope of consent to matters “logically and topically” related to the transaction that lead to consent.
Under the TCPA express written consent is required for any call that is made using regulated technology, which includes autodialers (ATDS), prerecorded or artificial voice calls, AI voice calls, and any form of outbound IVR or voicemail technology (including ringless) using prerecorded or artifical voice messages.
Why Does the FCC’s New One-to-One Ruling Matter?
Currently online webforms and comparison shopping websites are used to generate “leads” for direct to consumer marketers, insurance agents, real estate agents, and product sellers in numerous verticals.
Millions of leads a month are sold by tens of thousands of lead generation websites, leading to hundreds of millions of regulated marketing calls by businesses that rely on these websites to provide “leads”–consumers interested in hearing about their goods or services.
Prior to the new one-to-one ruling website operators were free to include partner pages that linked thousands of companies the consumer might be providing consent to receive calls from. And fine-print disclosures might allow a consumer to receive calls from business selling products unrelated to the consumer’s request. (For instance a website offering information about a home for sale might include fine print allowing the consumer’s data to be sold to a mortgage lender or insurance broker to receive calls.)
The new one-to-one rule stop these practices and requires website operators to specifically identify each good or service provider that might be contacting the consumer and requires the consumer to select each such provider on a one by one basis in order for consent to be valid.
Will the FCC’s One-to-One Ruling Impact Me?
If you are buying or selling leads, YES this ruling will effect you.
If you are a BPO or call center that relies on leads– YES this ruling will effect you.
If you are a CPaaS or communication platform–YES this ruling will effect you.
If you are a telecom carrier–YES this ruling will effect you.
If you are lead gen platform or service provider–YES this ruling will effect you.
If you generate first-party leads–Yes this ruling will effect you.
When Does the Rule Go Into Effect?
The ruling applies to all calls made in reliance on leads beginning January 27, 2025.
However, the ruling applies regardless of the date the lead was generated. So compliance efforts need to begin early so as to assure a pipeline of available leads to contact on that date.
In other words, all leads NOT in compliance with the FCC’s one-to-one rule CANNOT be called beginning January 27, 2025.
What Do I have to Do to Comply?
Three things:
i) Comply with the rather complex, but navigable new one-to-one rule paradigm. (The Troutman Amin Fifteen is a handy checklist to assist you);
ii) Assure the lead is being captured in a manner that is “logically and topically” related to the calls that will be placed; and
iii) Assure the caller has possession of the consent record before the call is made.
