A federal appeals court and the Federal Communications Commission, in one of its first actions under the new presidential administration, have handed down major decisions that many in the insurance industry may see as a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, the decisions give new freedom to insurance companies, agencies, quote-comparison sites and others that engage in telemarketing and robocalls to reach out to consumers. On the other hand, the action is likely to mean an uptick in annoying telemarketing calls to small businesses, including insurance agencies, that may want to keep their phone lines open for policyholder calls.
The Jan. 24 decision by the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals “will hurt consumers, small businesses and the American phone system,” Chris Frascella, counsel at the Electronic Priva