Getting repeated robocalls or spam texts can feel like background noise at first — until it starts happening every day, from different numbers, with the same pitch, the same fake urgency, or the same suspicious link. For many people, the confusion is not just “How do I stop this?” but “Which calls are actually illegal, and what rights do I have?”
In simple terms, federal law draws a major line between legitimate informational contact, telemarketing, and scam activity. The rules also treat prerecorded sales calls and many marketing texts far more strictly than people realize. In this post, you’ll learn what robocalls and unwanted texts are, when they may violate federal law, how the National Do Not Call Registry fits in, where scam calls are different from illegal sales calls, and why documentation often matters if the calls do not stop.
If you want broader context on consumer rights beyond robocalls — including fraud, unfair practices, and other high-stakes disputes — this overview of consumer protection issues that often overlap can help frame where these problems fit.
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A robocall is generally a call that delivers a prerecorded or artificial voice message. Under FCC guidance, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, restricts certain calls made with an artificial or prerecorded voice, and the FCC has long treated text messages as covered by the same framework in many situations. In 2024, the FCC also confirmed that AI-generated voices fall within the TCPA’s restrictions on “artificial or prerecorded voice.” FCC consumer guide FCC declaratory ruling
An unwanted text may be a marketing text, a scam text, a lead-generation text, or a phishing attempt. Some are plainly fraudulent. Others come from real companies or their vendors but may still raise legal issues if the sender lacked valid consent or ignored a revocation request. FTC unwanted calls and text messages FCC consumer guide
That distinction matters because not every annoying call is treated the same way. A school closing alert, pharmacy reminder, or fraud alert from a bank may be governed differently from a prerecorded sales pitch about solar panels, debt relief, insurance, or home services. FTC robocalls article FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule guidance
The short version: many prerecorded sales calls and marketing texts require prior express written consent. The FTC states it very directly: recorded sales calls are illegal unless the consumer gave written permission. The FTC also explains that if you get a robocall and did not give written permission, the call is illegal whether or not your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. FTC unwanted calls and text messages FTC robocalls article
FCC rules are similar in substance. The FCC explains that prior express written consent is generally required for telemarketing calls using an artificial or prerecorded voice to wireless numbers and residential lines, and for certain autodialed marketing calls to wireless numbers. The agency’s 2024 consumer guide also notes that the TCPA’s Do Not Call protections apply to calls and texts from telemarketers, regardless of technology, while consent can still allow a particular seller to contact a consumer. FCC consumer guide 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200
A few practical examples often help:
That kind of call often raises immediate TCPA and Do Not Call questions if you never signed anything authorizing prerecorded marketing calls from that seller. FTC robocalls article FCC consumer guide
This is one of the areas regulators have focused on recently. The FCC adopted a one-to-one consent rule that took effect on January 27, 2025, closing what the agency described as a lead-generator loophole. The rule says consent applies to a single seller at a time, rather than one blanket checkbox opening the door to marketing from dozens of sellers. The resulting robocalls or robotexts also have to be logically and topically related to the website where consent was given. FCC one-to-one consent FAQ