Is Survey Research Covered by the Do Not Call Rules?
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- Is Survey Research Covered by the Do Not Call Rules?
No, it isn't. The national Do Not
Call Registry was established by the Federal Trade Commission in
June 2003 to meet the requirements of the Do Not Call Implementation
Act. The law made it illegal for telemarketers to call consumers
with whom they did not have a prior business relationship.
The FTC exempted survey and opinion research because it is a critical
part of making and monitoring policy decisions. Researchers collect and
measure public opinion and feed it into the policy process so that the
views and values of the citizenry have a place at the table when
decisions are made.
Survey research is used in a variety of ways, from providing us with the
Census to tracking immunizations. Research gives elected officials a
reality check, and can protect against policy decisions based only on
assumptions, guesswork and ideology.
Although survey firms are exempt, most do maintain internal do-not-call
lists.
- Read about the impact of the Do Not Call Registry on survey response rates.
- Read the industry's arguments in support of the Do Not Call Registry with an exemption for survey research. (PDF)
- Read about the importance of survey research.
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