As previously blogged about here, the FCC recently proposed a rule that would turn the lead generation on its head.  The proposed new rule goes quite a bit further than simply requiring wireless carriers to block texts from illegitimate numbers.  See more, here.

In addition to carrier investigation and blocking obligations, as well as an extension of DNC protections to text messages, the FCC proposes:

“…to ban the practice of obtaining a single consumer consent as grounds for delivering calls and text messages from multiple marketers on subjects beyond the scope of the original consent.”

In an illustration of the issue, Company A describes a website that purports to enable consumers to comparison shop for insurance.  The website sought consumer consent for calls and texts from insurance companies and other various entities, including Company A’s ‘partner companies.’  The ‘partner companies’ were listed in a hyperlink on the web page (i.e., they were not displayed on the website without clicking on the link) and the list of ‘partner companies’ included both insurance companies and other entities that did not appear to be related to insurance.”

Public Knowledge, an influential non-profit Washington, D.C.-based public interest group argues that lead generators and data brokers use hyperlinked lists to harvest consumer telephone numbers and consent agreements on a website and pass that information to telemarketers and scam callers.  Commentors have argued that the telemarketer that obtains the consumer’s contact information from the lead generator may believe that it has the consumer’s prior express consent,

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