---
id: "entity-tcpa"
type: "entity"
entityType: "other"
canonicalName: "Telephone Consumer Protection Act"
aliases: ["TCPA", "47 U.S.C. §227"]
source_timestamps: ["Reel 46", "Reel 48", "Reel 49"]
tags: ["law", "consumer-protection"]
related: ["concept-tcpa-spam-litigation", "framework-sue-spammers", "claim-tcpa-payouts", "action-sue-spammers"]
---
# Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

## Profile

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (47 U.S.C. §227) is a 1991 US federal statute restricting telemarketing calls, robocalls, autodialed calls, and unsolicited texts to consumers. It establishes a **private right of action** under which consumers may recover **$500 per violation, trebled to $1,500 for willful violations**.

## Role in This Vault

The TCPA underpins the entire "anti-spam side hustle" pillar of Bowen's content:

- Conceptual frame: [[concept-tcpa-spam-litigation]]
- Operational playbook: [[framework-sue-spammers]]
- Empirical claim: [[claim-tcpa-payouts]]
- Action: [[action-sue-spammers]]
- Tooling: [[entity-sunbiz]]
- Anchor quote: [[quote-suing-spammers-hobby]]

## Key Legal Caveats

- **Autodialer definition** was narrowed by *Facebook v. Duguid* (Supreme Court, 2021).
- Defendants frequently invoke **arbitration clauses, class-action waivers, and consent defenses** (often via buried opt-ins in lead-gen forms).
- Courts have **sanctioned vexatious or serial filers** — the strategy is real but not risk-free.