FTC Defends $28.7 Million Fine for Education Sales Lead Calls

Seventh Circuit judges focused on wording of consumer-protection statutes Tuesday when asked to overturn a $28.7 million penalty on companies the Federal Trade Commission claimed violated the Do Not Call Registry.

Day Pacer allegedly bought individuals’ contact information from websites aimed at job seekers, paid companies to phone them, used its own call-center employees to determine their interest in educational goods and services, and then sold sales leads to for-profit education companies.

Day Pacer lawyer Terance Gonsalves said the provisions concerning telemarketing under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule don’t apply to his client because the ...