Republicans claim 1st Amendment right to send you robo-voicemails

Enlarge / The FCC is being asked to decide whether this ringless voicemail technology should be subject to anti-robocall rules. (credit: Stratics Networks)

You might start getting many more voicemails if Republicans get their wish.

A marketing company called All About the Message recently petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for a ruling that would prevent anti-robocall rules from being applied to "the delivery of a voice message directly to a voicemail box" without ringing the recipient's phone. These ringless voicemails are already happening, but their legal status is unclear.

That petition was filed in March, and last week the Republican National Committee (RNC) asked the Federal Communications Commission to approve the petition. The petition asks the FCC "to declare that the delivery of a voice message directly to a voicemail box does not constitute a call that is subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ('TCPA') and its implementing rules," the RNC wrote. "The RNC supports this clarification, which is consistent with the language of the TCPA."

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