The National Do-Not-Call Registry is up and running. USA citizens FINALLY have a means to defend their right to privacy against intrusive telemarketers and can register their phone numbers on a national "opt out" list. Telemarketers have to start using the list on October 1st and must recheck it every 3 months. The fine for illegally calling a number on the list will be $11,000 per violation.
After waiting anxiously for the announcement I was among the 360,000 USA citizens to register within the first 12 hours. I was finally able to access the site at 10:17 a. m. and successfully registered my phone number. The registered numbers increased to 635,000 in the first 14 hours, and reportedly, by 5 p.m. EDT Friday, June 28th, 735,000 phone numbers had been registered.
In a final act of revenge against the telemarketers, I took great satisfaction in notifying family and friends by e-mail just in case they were not aware that the registry web site is now open for business. Hah! All of the responses I received so far have had similar messages: "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!"
USA citizens can register on-line at:
Take that, you obnoxious telemarketers!
Now, if only there could be a National Do-Not-Spam Registry ...