FTC to Robocallers: Drop Dead

“This is your second warning that the warranty on your automobile has” — Oh, sorry, you may be getting less of those pesky telemarketer calls now that the Federal Trade Commission in banning them outright. A new Telemarketing Sales Rule prohibits the use of robocalling, which uses an automatic dialer to find potential customers. It’s a welcome move, but as Ars Technica points out, it’s actually not likely to change much. The call I mentioned above is already illegal, since it tends to ignore the Do Not Call registry (and it’s a scam). Plus, charities, politicians, telcos and banks are exempt from the new rule. So don’t worry, you’ll still have  plenty of opportunities to say “hello” twice in order to activate the other end of the line. [via Ars Technica]