Federal regulators said the Direct Marketing Association didn’t violate antitrust laws by requiring its members to honor consumer requests to be removed from mail and telephone solicitation lists.
In an advisory letter, staffers at the Federal Trade Commission also said the association could require its members to disclose to consumers whether and how they distribute information about them. The association also can require its members to refrain from transferring that information upon the request of a customer, the FTC said.
Under the new policy, participation in the association’s Mail Preference Service and Telephone Preference Service would be a condition of membership.
The two services allow consumers who don’t want to receive mail advertisements or telemarketing calls from association members to place their name on the lists.
The FTC staff letter said the membership requirement was unlikely to restrict competition, and recommended that the full FTC not challenge the policy.
