Paying Attention to Third Party Telemarketers

I hate to beat a dead horse, but despite all sorts of newly enforceable regulatory hurdles, those obnoxious telemarketing calls keep coming.  The good news is that the FCC, as the lead agency enforcing the newly tightened telemarketing rules, is taking action, but the bad news is that the calls keep coming because they are effective. Not at my house, and not likely at yours, but someone’s buying what telemarketers are selling. Just like any hungry sales person knows when obstacles are placed in the path, you work around them.  Telemarketers and those who rely on their services are no different than any other industry that is quasi-regulated.  As new legal and regulatory hurdles are placed in front of them, telemarketers devise creative ways to re-interpret or completely ignore them altogether.

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A Novel Approach to Internet Regulation

When the subject of “network neutrality” or “open internet” come up, most people glaze over (or run quickly in the other direction). However, there is a case currently before the D.C. Circuit, brought by Verizon against the FCC, whose outcome could affect many beyond the original parties.

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The Mobile Wallet

Although they’re not here quite yet, the day of the mobile wallet is quickly approaching.  However, before most of us feel comfortable keeping more information than we already do on our smart phones, there are a number of hurdles—both actual and perceived—that need to be overcome.

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Telephone Metadata – Hardly the Last Word

When Edward Snowden became sufficiently disillusioned with the activities of the National Security Agency to take the dramatic step of disclosing classified information about the collection of information on citizens and non-citizens alike, he opened one of the largest cans of worms ever.  The fallout from his actions will be felt for years to come as individuals, organizations and courts tackle the thorny questions that his disclosures raised.

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Assessing the ITU Dubai Conference • December 2012

In mid-December, delegates from 193 nations gathered in Dubai to develop what was hoped would be a new international framework for regulation of telecommunications throughout the world.  Given that the last time the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) had been together formally to address major international telecommunications policy was 1988, much had changed--most notably the rise of the Internet not only as an “information superhighway,” but also as a dominant force in the delivery of telecommunications offerings--including voice communications.

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