The Telephone Consumer Protection Act

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227 et seq. (TCPA), makes it unlawful, in part, to make a call using an automatic telephone dialing system to a cellular telephone without the prior express consent of the called party. The TCPA was enacted in 1991 in an effort to address a growing number of telephone calls which Congress found to be an invasion of consumer privacy.

As more and more Americans have made the transition to cellular telephones as their primary point of contact the TCPA has become increasingly important in protecting consumers from unwanted calls to their cellular telephones.