Key Takeaways
- The FCC adopted new rules on Sept. 30, 2026, that change how businesses must handle consumer requests to stop autodialed and prerecorded calls and texts under the TCPA.
- Businesses may now limit an opt-out to the specific category of informational messages a consumer responded to, but an opt-out from telemarketing still revokes consent to all future telemarketing.
- Businesses may designate an exclusive opt-out method if they clearly and conspicuously disclose it on each call or in each text.
- The FCC is seeking comment on further changes, including a shorter deadline for honoring revocations.
On Sept. 30, 2026, the FCC adopted a Report and Order (FCC 26-67) that changes how businesses must handle consumer requests to stop autodialed and prerecorded calls and texts under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Scope of Revocation
The biggest change involves the scope of a revocation. The FCC’s 2024 “revoke all” rule required a business to treat an opt-out from one type of message as an opt-out from all its messages. The FCC has now dropped that approach for informational messages. A business may treat a revocation as applying only to the specific category of informational calls or texts to which the customer responded. For example, a customer who opts out of payment reminders can still receive fraud alerts, multifactor authentication codes, appointment reminders or outage notices. This flexibility does not extend to marketing. An opt-out in response to a call or text that contains an advertisement or constitutes telemarketing still revokes consent to all future telemarketing calls and texts from that caller.
Exclusive Opt-Out Method
The FCC now allows businesses to choose an exclusive way for consumers to revoke consent. Previously, businesses had to honor requests made by “any reasonable method.” A business may designate one or more of three methods:
- an automated, interactive voice or key-press opt-out on a call;
- a reply text using one of the standardized words: “stop,” “quit,” “end,” “revoke,” “opt out,” “cancel” or “unsubscribe”; and
- a website or telephone number the caller designates for opt-out requests.
A business that properly designates an exclusive method does not have to process requests made any other way. To rely on an exclusive method, the business must clearly and conspicuously disclose it on each call or in each text. While text senders can satisfy the disclosure requirement by including just one standardized word (e.g., “stop”) within the message itself, they must still honor a reply using any of the seven words listed above.
Limits apply. The change does not alter the opt-out mechanisms already required for exempted calls and telemarketing calls. Also, the FCC rejected a proposal to let callers use revocation methods set by another agency’s regulations, such as written-notice rules for debt collection, as their exclusive method.
Proposed Changes
The FCC seeks comment on several further changes:
- shortening the deadline for honoring revocations, possibly to seven business days;
- requiring two-way texting so consumers can always opt out by reply text;
- requiring a one-step “revoke all” option; and
- clarifying how revocations apply across affiliates, separate lines of business and divisions.
Next Steps
In light of the FCC’s new rules, companies should:
- Review text message terms and conditions identifying revocation methods.
- Assess opt-out processes for both informational and telemarketing messages.
- Coordinate with vendors to ensure processes are updated to conform with the new rules.
- Stay apprised of updates from the FCC on revocation deadlines and other proposed changes.
For questions or inquiries, contact the authors.