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DiNapoli finds enforcement of Do-Not-Call law is improving

Feb 20, 2020 12:30 pm
Larry Rulison is reporting for the Times Union a new audit by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office found that NewYork has greatly improved its enforcement and tracking of the Do-Not-Call law, legislation intended to protect consumers from harassing telemarketing and robocalls. In 2018, DiNapoli's office issued a set of recommendations to improve enforcement, including adding staff and using new technologies and tapping into federal resources to track consumer complaints and crackdown on new cases of abuse. “Laws are ineffective if they’re not enforced, which is why I’m gratified the state is now making a serious effort to go after illegal robocallers,” DiNapoli said. “...[T]he Department of State has acted on my office’s recommendations and seems to be getting its arms around the problem.” The original 2001 law has been amended frequently, and a proposed 2020 update would double the maximum penalty for telemarketing firms from $11,000 per violation to $22,000. Consumers must list the numbers they want blocked on a Federal Trade Commission registry. DiNapoli's audit did not say how many new enforcement actions have been taken or how many fines have been assessed, but it does say it is now easier for consumers to make full complaints. Read the full story in the Times Union.