Schumer vows to fight ‘Do Not Call’ violators

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that he would introduce legislation to increase the penalty for violators of the “Do Not Call” law.

“When it comes to the loophole-exploiting robocall industry, we need to fight fire with fire — and that means higher penalties, jail time, and better technology to fight the spammers who have ruined countless family dinners, sporting events, and other family gatherings,” Schumer said.

{mosads}Under current law, telemarketing companies are prevented from using machines that automatically dial numbers and then play prerecorded telemarketing calls, unless given written permission by the recipient. But Schumer said robocall complaints have more than doubled since 2010, despite the Do Not Call Implementation Act’s passage in 2003.

Schumer said his bill would increase the penalty for using an automated dialing machine, from being a misdemeanor punishable by a small fine and no jail time, to a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine per call.

Schumer said the Do Not Call program needed updating for the “modern world” because automatic dialing machines can make millions of calls in seconds.

Schumer said his bill would include exemptions for charities. He’s expected to introduce the legislation when senators return from their two-week Thanksgiving recess.