New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin joined a multistate lawsuit against Avid Telecom for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls, including to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule. The company is accused of transmitting scam calls and ignoring warnings from the Industry Traceback Group.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor agreements with telecommunications service providers and customer contracts for any telemarketing or automated calling services. Specifically scrutinize clauses governing autodialer usage, consent mechanisms (including prior express written consent), compliance with the National Do Not Call Registry, call time restrictions, and data sharing for call lists. Agreements should be amended to include robust audit rights, mandatory compliance certifications, clear indemnification for TCPA/TSR violations, and termination provisions for non-compliance. Employee agreements for call center staff should also be reviewed for adherence to calling protocols and training requirements.
Entity
Michael D. Lansky, LLC
Also known as: Avid Telecom
Industry
TelecommunicationsOfficial Press Release
https://www.njoag.gov/attorney-general-platkin-joins-multistate-complaint-against-avid-telecom-over-illegal-robocalls/
2023 0523 Conformed Complaint Avid
https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases23/2023-0523_Conformed-Complaint_Avid.pdf
New Jersey Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-consumer-affairs/
"Michael D. Lansky, LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom"
"Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws."
"sent or transmitted more than 7.5 billion calls to telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry"
"violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act"
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a lawsuit against Michael D. Lansky, LLC (Avid Telecom) for allegedly initiating billions of illegal robocalls, including to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. The company is accused of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Telemarketing Sales Rule. This action is part of a multistate task force with nearly every state attorney general.
$18.0M
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport joined a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in announcing a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe, resolving allegations from a 2023 data breach that compromised genetic data of 6.9 million people worldwide, including nearly 150,000 in New Jersey. The settlement provides $18 million to states from available bankruptcy funds, plus enhanced data security and consumer deletion rights for the successor entity, 23andMe Research Institute.
$45.0M
Block, Inc. agreed to a $45 million multistate settlement with 46 states for allegedly misleading consumers about the safety of Cash App, failing to protect users from fraud, and not providing promised fraud protection. The settlement requires Block to improve customer support, stop misleading claims, and educate consumers about fraud.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport co-led a coalition of 49 attorneys general in calling on the FCC to strengthen rules to cut off scammers' access to legitimate telephone numbers. The coalition's letter requests stronger certification rules, regular reporting, and prohibitions on number cycling to combat illegal robocalls.
Governor Sherrill and Attorney General Davenport announced coordinated executive actions to reduce and eliminate junk fees in New Jersey. The initiative includes an Executive Order directing state agencies to review industries for junk fees and an Enforcement Statement from the Division of Consumer Affairs explaining how junk fee practices may violate the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
The New Jersey Bureau of Securities announced its 2026 annual investment adviser examination, with a particular focus on firms' use of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity protocols. The examination requires nearly 800 registered investment adviser firms to answer questions about AI use in portfolio management, data protection policies, and third-party vendor due diligence. Failure to comply may result in administrative action.