TCPA

The core restrictions cover automated dialling and artificial or prerecorded voice messages to mobile numbers, calls outside permitted local hours, disregard of do-not-call requests, and failure to identify the caller. The FCC has confirmed that AI-generated voices fall within the artificial-voice provisions, which removes any argument that a conversational agent is outside the Act because it is not playing a recording.

Consent requirements differ by call purpose, and the distinction is the one most often collapsed. Marketing calls to a mobile number generally require prior express written consent, which means a signed or electronically signed agreement that discloses the automated nature of the calls and is not conditioned on a purchase. Purely informational calls to an existing customer sit under a lower standard. Calling a number under a consent record that does not cover the actual purpose is a violation.

Enforcement is what gives the statute its weight. Statutory damages are assessed per call, trebled for wilful violations, and the private right of action makes class actions economically attractive to plaintiffs’ firms. Because the exposure scales with volume, an automated dialler that misapplies a rule produces liability in proportion to how well it works.

This entry is general information about a widely cited statute, not legal advice. Requirements change through FCC rulemaking and litigation, and obligations depend on the specific facts of a calling programme. Anyone running outbound campaigns should have the programme reviewed by qualified counsel.