What is the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act)?

The TCPA, or Telephone Consumer Protection Act, is the federal law that regulates how businesses and collectors may use phones, autodialers, prerecorded messages, and SMS. It is best known for the rules around automated and prerecorded calls to cell phones, where prior express consent is generally required, and for the national Do Not Call registry that restricts certain types of telemarketing.

For collections specifically, the TCPA sets the baseline for things like call-time windows, the kinds of dialers that can be used, and the disclosures an automated or AI-driven caller is expected to make. Violations can carry significant statutory damages per call, which is why TCPA compliance is a standard part of any collections operations review and why every voice system in this space has to be explicit about how it handles consent and recording notices.

This page is general information, not legal advice. The TCPA has complex carve-outs for different call types, relationships, and platforms, and enforcement varies. For specific questions about a campaign or workflow, consult a qualified attorney. Syntharra's concrete TCPA posture is documented on the compliance page.