Dish Network is facing a possible fine of up to $24 billion by the United States Department of Justice after the company was found to have been misusing their subscriber's data. The American direct-broadcast satellite service provider has been alleged to have been calling people for marketing purpose on their no-call list.
According to the Ars Technica, there are more than 55 million illegal telemarketing calls made by the company by its telemarketing team on its do-not-call lists. The trial which is set to start soon will see whether the cable network was aware that it is breaking the law and should be held responsible for the action done by the subcontractor.
The fine which is higher compared to the company's current value was filed by the department of justice in four states which are Ohio, Illinois, California, and North Carolina. According to the accusation as reported by Geek Wire, the call was made using a recorded messages.
The no-call list was subscribed by most satellite subscriber to ensure that their data will not be misused by the company and other third party contractors as a way to shield themselves from a telemarketer.
Dish wish is currently evaluated at $22 billion was shocked with the news as the company was expecting a smaller amount as there was a similar case before but the amount of fine is far lesser. The company spokesperson said in a statement as mentioned by the Consumerist that "Most of the Dish calls complained about took place almost ten years ago and Dish has continued to improve its already compliant procedures."
The total fine was due to the high amount requested by the department of justice for Ohio, Illinois, California, and Nort Carolina as the states set for a fine of $16,000 per call. Meanwhile, other states involve with the complaint is settling with a total fine of $6 million.
According to Dish's spokesperson, a total fine of $75,000 was filed to one of its resellers back in 2008 when the company did the same violation. The higher fine set by the department of justice for its case is causing some confusion to the company.
The co-call registry was introduced by the Federal Communication Commission to ensure that company will not be using robocall or telemarketer to promote their products. Currently, there are more than 200 million numbers registered under the registry hence, any company that wish to make a call will need to receive a written consent by the customer before making a call.
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