Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I read with interest the concerns that several area residents have expressed about receiving telemarketing calls potentially in violation of federal do-not-call provisions. These concerns are certainly justified and are not falling on deaf ears. 

Most of corporate America plays by the rules set forth by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which manages the National Do Not Call Registry. In 2009, new FTC rules went into effect to prohibit most prerecorded robocalls unless the telemarketer has prior written authorization to transmit such calls.

But while the convergence of the internet and advanced phone systems has brought our society many benefits, it has also facilitated an environment for individuals to push robocalls at a very low cost. The uptick in robocalls can be traced to advances in technology that have made it cheap and easy for criminals to distribute thousands of calls every minute. The advanced technology even allows these entities to emplo...