The Telephone Consumer Protection Act has been reshaping outbound calling since 1991. But the regulatory environment in 2025 looks materially different from even a few years ago — new FCC rules, evolving case law, and a plaintiff bar that has become increasingly sophisticated at targeting contact centres.
What the TCPA Actually Prohibits
The TCPA restricts how businesses can contact consumers by phone. Violations are strict liability — meaning intent does not matter. If the call went through and the rule was broken, you are exposed. At $500 to $1,500 per call, a single poorly managed campaign can generate eight-figure liability.
DNC Scrubbing: Why Batch Processing Is No Longer Enough
Real-time DNC scrubbing — checking each number inline at the moment the call is placed — eliminates the compliance gap entirely. It is now the standard that regulators and plaintiff attorneys look for when evaluating a contact centre's compliance posture.
The most common TCPA exposure we see is not intentional wrongdoing — it is operational gaps. A list that was not scrubbed in time, a consent record that cannot be located, an opt-out that was not actioned.