Blumenthal, Other Democrats Concerned on FTC Robocall Ability in Shutdown
Consumer Protection Subcommittee ranking member Richard Blumenthal, Conn., and 12 other Senate Democrats raised concerns with the FTC last week about the agency's ability to effectively police “illegal robocallers and other scammers” amid the partial government shutdown. Blumenthal and Sen.…
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Ed Markey, D-Mass., also asked the FTC last week if it needs additional resources to mitigate the shutdown's impact on its Facebook-Cambridge Analytica probe (see 1901170043). The FTC instructed telemarketers to use their existing National Do Not Call Registry lists of numbers not to call while updated rosters are unavailable, but “unscrupulous scammers may exploit this lapse to the public's detriment,” the senators wrote FTC Chairman Joe Simons. The agency has also been unable to “alert the public about the newest scam targeting those affected” by the hiatus, and several government-owned identity theft and consumer complaints websites “are unavailable” as well. The senators sought information on what information consumers should document about FTC Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act violations and how after reopening the agency would encourage consumers to report scams that occurred during the shutdown. They asked how Congress can assist the FTC “with additional resources to address the backlog of consumer complaints” it will “likely have when funding is restored.” The FTC didn't comment. President Donald Trump reached a deal on a continuing resolution to reopen shuttered parts of the government through Feb. 15, which the Senate approved and the House was expected to concur on Friday night (see 1901240016).