As required by the Do Not Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007, the Federal Trade Commission submitted two reports to Congress last week.

The Registry now has more than 191 million active registrations, with more than 18 million new phone numbers registered during the 2009 fiscal year, according to the first report, a biennial report documenting the Registry’s use. In addition, roughly 45,000 telemarketers, sellers, and exempt organizations like charities paid more than $15.5 million in fees for access to the Registry. The report also details new procedures launched by the FTC last year to track disconnected and reassigned phone numbers.

The second report is a one-time report on enforcement efforts and consumer perceptions of the Registry’s effectiveness. Enforcement efforts have resulted in more than $22 million collected as penalties from Registry violators. The report also discusses outreach programs conducted by the FTC to increase awareness of the Registry, particularly among senior citizens and African-American and Hispanic consumers.

While a 2007 poll found that 86 percent of survey participants were familiar with the Registry and 72 percent were in fact registered, some confusion still exists, the report noted. Calls from debt collectors, for example, are routinely reported to the FTC but are not prohibited unless they are made as part of a “telephone solicitation.” Calls promoting candidates or ballot initiatives are also allowed. However, the FTC received “scores” of complaints from consumers in the 2009 fiscal year because of calls from the Obama and McCain campaigns, as well as the Republican and Democratic National Committees.

To read the text of the first report, click here. 

For the second report, click here.  

The reports document a significant increase in awareness and use of the Do Not Call Registry. With almost 200 million registered phone numbers – and growing each year – violators should expect to face continued enforcement actions by the FTC.