The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is introducing new rules effective January 2025 to enhance consumer privacy and transparency in telecommunications. These regulations expand on the TCPA to address emerging technologies and require businesses to adapt their communication strategies.

Key Changes in the 2025 FCC Regulations:

1. One-to-One Consent: Businesses must obtain explicit, one-to-one consent for all interactions, including SMS, calls, and digital communications.

2. Transparency Requirements: Communications must clearly disclose the business’s identity and the purpose of the outreach.

3. Expanded Scope: New platforms like QR codes and Smart Digital Buttons/Links are now under FCC oversight.

4. Increased Penalties: Non-compliance fines have been raised significantly, with penalties reaching up to $10,000 per violation.

Whisp’s patented technology is designed to help businesses adapt seamlessly to the new FCC regulations:

• Automated Compliance Technology: Whisp captures and validates one-to-one consent through 2-way SMS, QR codes, and Smart Digital Buttons/Links.

• Secure Consent Records: All customer consent data is securely stored, ensuring audit readiness.

• Transparent Messaging Tools: Whisp enables personalized, trust-building messaging that meets the FCC’s transparency requirements.

• Client Support: Whisp provides resources and guidance to help clients understand and implement compliance measures effectively.

1. Audit Your Current Processes: Review your marketing and communication strategies to identify gaps in consent management and compliance.

2. Implement Compliant Technology: Adopt tools like Whisp’s platform to automate consent collection, recordkeeping, and compliance monitoring.

3. Educate Your Team: Train employees on the new FCC regulations and the importance of transparency and consumer trust.

4. Consult Legal Advisors: Work with legal experts to ensure your entire communication strategy aligns with the new requirements.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a U.S. law designed to protect consumers from unsolicited communications such as robocalls, auto-dialed calls, and text messages. Businesses must follow strict rules to communicate responsibly and with proper consent.

Key Provisions of TCPA:

• Explicit Consent Requirements: Businesses must obtain clear, written consent for telemarketing and text messages.

• Do-Not-Call Registry Compliance: Companies must honor consumer preferences listed in the National Do-Not-Call Registry and maintain their internal Do-Not-Call lists for at least five years.

• Time Restrictions: Telemarketing calls are only allowed between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time.

• Penalties: Violations can result in fines of up to $500 per violation and up to $1,500 per willful violation.

• Automated Consent Collection: Whisp’s patented technology ensures all customer interactions are opt-in, using secure, real-time 2-way SMS functionality.

• Opt-Out Mechanisms: Consumers can easily opt out by replying with "STOP" or other keywords, ensuring full control over their communication preferences.

• Recordkeeping: Consent records are automatically stored and organized for regulatory audits, eliminating manual tracking.

• Secure Data Transfers: Whisp does not retain sensitive consumer data. Instead, it is securely transferred to your CRM system for immediate use.

Adding it to your website is as simple as adding a line of code to the header or downloading one of our plug-ins.

Adding to your social media is even easier by copying and pasting the Whisp Smart Link to your social bio.

The customer will receive the information directly to their phone. Whether it be product information, a business card, a coupon, or an image, it will be sent directly to their fingertips.

You can receive the Customer’s information straight to your inbox or use one of our many CRM integrations to send it directly through your Customer Journey.

The privacy of consumer information is important to Whisp.IO. We will never sell or transmit the consumer data received through the Whisp.IO processes. The information obtained from the consumer and about the consumer is transferred directly to our clients CRM or data repository for use in their system. When a consumer’s data is obtained it is protected under both Whisp.IO privacy policy (link) and the privacy policy of the Whisp.IO client (linked to on the opt-in page for the whisp.io text message sequence). If a consumer wants to opt-out of receiving messages, the consumer can text “STOP” at any time and the consumer’s information will be removed from Whisp.IO servers (if retained) and a removal transmission will be initiated into the system of Whisp.IO clients for removal of the consumer data.

Data obtained by Whisp.IO from its text messaging system is transferred directly to Whisp.IO clients. Whisp.IO does not retain any consumer data. Data protection is performed by Whisp.IO clients and information on that data protection can only be obtained from Whisp.IO clients.