Caller ID

Last week, President Obama signed into law the “Truth in Caller ID Act,” which prohibits the practice of providing false caller ID information in order to deceive the call recipient (better known as caller ID “spoofing”).  Specifically, the Act prohibits the use of “misleading or inaccurate caller identification information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain

The Federal Trade Commission is asking for comments on whether to strengthen its rules requiring telemarketers to disclose their identities via caller ID.  The FTC’s notice [PDF] suggests that the agency is taking aim at what it perceives to be deceptive identification disclosure practices. 

The FTC currently requires telemarketers to disclose their telephone number and, when