Using the Do Not Call Registry
Webcast Q&A: Sunday, 2 October 2011, Question 2
I answered a question on using the Do Not Call Registry on Philosophy in Action Radio on 2 October 2011. You can listen to or download the podcast segment below – or check out the whole episode.
Should the "Do Not Call" Registry exist? The National Do Not Call Registry was established in 2003, and it's run by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. Is this legitimate? Does a person have a right not to be called by solicitors and other unwanted persons? Given that there was no real attempt to come up with a private, market-based solution for the issue of unwanted solicitations, was this a legitimate case of "market failure"? Should advocates of free markets put themselves on the "Do Not Call" list and/or report violators thereof? Why shouldn't a person just hang up?
My Answer, In Brief: Telemarketers do not have a right to use your telephones and telephone lines against your will. In a free society, private methods could and should be used to protect yourself against trespasses by telemarketers, but in the meantime, adding yourself to the government's Do Not Call List is a legitimate way to announce that telemarketers are not welcome to call you.
Tags: Business, Law, Politics, Property, Rights, Technology
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- Duration: 20:12
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Relevant Links
- Wikipedia on The National Do Not Call Registry and its History
- The FTC's Do Not Call List – What's the point? by Bill Singer
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About Philosophy in Action Radio
I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
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