On December 22, 2010, President Obama signed the Truth in Caller
ID Act of 2009 (the Act).1 The Act amends the Telephone
Consumer Protection Act2 and prohibits any person within
the United States from causing any caller identification service to
knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller identification
information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully
obtain anything of value.
"Caller identification information" includes the
telephone number of, or other information regarding the origination
of, a call made using a telecommunications service or IP-enabled
voice service.
The Act directs the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC)
to promulgate regulations implementing the Act within six months,
including exemptions to the blanket prohibition, "as the [FCC]
determines is appropriate." There is no indication in the Act
itself whether specific types of communications, like collection
calls from creditors, will be exempt, particularly in the
