§223. Obscene or harassing telephone calls in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communications

(a) Prohibited acts generally

Whoever-

(1) in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication by means of telephone-

(A) makes any comment, request, suggestion or proposal which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent;

(B) makes a telephone call, whether or not conversation ensues, without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person at the called number;

(C) makes or causes the telephone of another repeatedly or continuously to ring, with intent to harass any person at the called number; or

(D) makes repeated telephone calls, during which conversation ensues, solely to harass any person at the called number; or

(2) knowingly permits any telephone facility under his control to be used for any purpose prohibited by this section,

shall be fined not more than $50,000 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

(b) Prohibited acts for commercial purposes; defense to prosecution

(1) Whoever knowingly-

(A) within the United States, by means of telephone, makes (directly or by recording device) any obscene communication for commercial purposes to any person, regardless of whether the maker of such communication placed the call; or

(B) permits any telephone facility under such person's control to be used for an activity prohibited by subparagraph (A),

shall be fined in accordance with title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

(2) Whoever knowingly-

(A) within the United States, by means of telephone, makes (directly or by recording device) any indecent communication for commercial purposes which is available to any person under 18 years of age or to any other person without that person's consent, regardless of whether the maker of such communication placed the call; or

(B) permits any telephone facility under such person's control to be used for an activity prohibited by subparagraph (A), shall be fined not more than $50,000 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

(3) It is a defense to prosecution under paragraph (2) of this subsection that the defendant restricted access to the prohibited communication to persons 18 years of age or older in accordance with subsection (c) of this section and with such procedures as the Commission may prescribe by regulation.

(4) In addition to the penalties under paragraph (1), whoever, within the United States, intentionally violates paragraph (1) or (2) shall be subject to a fine of not more than $50,000 for each violation. For purposes of this paragraph, each day of violation shall constitute a separate violation.

(5)(A) In addition to the penalties under paragraphs (1), (2), and (5), whoever, within the United States, violates paragraph (1) or (2) shall be subject to a civil fine of not more than $50,000 for each violation. For purposes of this paragraph, each day of violation shall constitute a separate violation.

(B) A fine under this paragraph may be assessed either-

(i) by a court, pursuant to civil action by the Commission or any attorney employed by the Commission who is designated by the Commission for such purposes, or

(ii) by the Commission after appropriate administrative proceedings.

(6) The Attorney General may bring a suit in the appropriate district court of the United States to enjoin any act or practice which violates paragraph (1) or (2). An injunction may be granted in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

(c) Restriction on access to subscribers by common carriers; judicial remedies respecting restrictions

(1) A common carrier within the District of Columbia or within any State, or in interstate or foreign commerce, shall not, to the extent technically feasible, provide access to a communication specified in subsection (b) of this section from the telephone of any subscriber who has not previously requested in writing the carrier to provide access to such communication if the carrier collects from subscribers an identifiable charge for such communication that the carrier remits, in whole or in part, to the provider of such communication.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), no cause of action may be brought in any court or administrative agency against any common carrier, or any of its affiliates, including their officers, directors, employees, agents, or authorized representatives on account of-

(A) any action which the carrier demonstrates was taken in good faith to restrict access pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection; or

(B) any access permitted-

(i) in good faith reliance upon the lack of any representation by a provider of communications that communications provided by that provider are communications specified in subsection (b) of this section, or

(ii) because a specific representation by the provider did not allow the carrier, acting in good faith, a sufficient period to restrict access to restrict access to communications described in subsection (b) of this section.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subsection, a provider of communications services to which subscribers are denied access pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection may bring an action for a declaratory judgment or similar action in a court. Any such action shall be limited to the question of whether the communications which the provider seeks to provide fall within the category of communications to which the carrier will provide access only to subscribers who have previously requested such access.

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title II, §223, as added May 3, 1968, Pub. L. 90–299, §1, 82 Stat. 112 ; amended Dec. 8, 1983, Pub. L. 98–214, §8(a), (b), 97 Stat. 1469 , 1470; Apr. 28, 1988, Pub. L. 100–297, title VI, §6101, 102 Stat. 424 ; Nov. 18, 1988, Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, §7524, 102 Stat. 4502 ; Nov. 21, 1989, Pub. L. 101–166, title V, §521(1), 103 Stat. 1192 ; Oct. 25, 1994, Pub. L. 103–414, title III, §303(a)(9), 108 Stat. 4294 .)

References in Text

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, referred to in subsec. (b)(6), are set out in the Appendix to Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Amendments

1994-Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 103–414 substituted "defendant restricted access" for "defendant restrict access".

1989-Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 101–166 added subsecs. (b) and (c) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows:

"(1) Whoever knowingly-

"(A) in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication, by means of telephone, makes (directly or by recording device) any obscene communication for commercial purposes to any person, regardless of whether the maker of such communication placed the call; or

"(B) permits any telephone facility under such person's control to be used for an activity prohibited by clause (i);

shall be fined in accordance with title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

"(2) Whoever knowingly-

"(A) in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication, by means of telephone, makes (directly or by recording device) any indecent communication for commercial purposes to any person, regardless of whether the maker of such communication placed the call; or

"(B) permits any telephone facility under such person's control to be used for an activity prohibited by clause (i),

shall be fined not more than $50,000 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both."

1988-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–690 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows:

"(1) Whoever knowingly-

"(A) in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication, by means of telephone, makes (directly or by recording device) any obscene or indecent communication for commercial purposes to any person, regardless of whether the maker of such communication placed the call; or

"(B) permits any telephone facility under such person's control to be used for an activity prohibited by subparagraph (A),

shall be fined not more than $50,000 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

"(2) In addition to the penalties under paragraph (1), whoever, in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication, intentionally violates paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(B) shall be subject to a fine of not more than $50,000 for each violation. For purposes of this paragraph, each day of violation shall constitute a separate violation.

"(3)(A) In addition to the penalties under paragraphs (1) and (2), whoever, in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communication, violates paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(B) shall be subject to a civil fine of not more than $50,000 for each violation. For purposes of this paragraph, each day of violation shall constitute a separate violation.

"(B) A fine under this paragraph may be assessed either-

"(i) by a court, pursuant to a civil action by the Commission or any attorney employed by the Commission who is designated by the Commission for such purposes, or

"(ii) by the Commission after appropriate administrative proceedings.

"(4) The Attorney General may bring a suit in the appropriate district court of the United States to enjoin any act or practice which violates paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(B). An injunction may be granted in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure."

Pub. L. 100–297, in par. (1)(A), struck out "under eighteen years of age or to any other person without that person's consent" after "to any person", redesignated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: "It is a defense to a prosecution under this subsection that the defendant restricted access to the prohibited communication to persons eighteen years of age or older in accordance with procedures which the Commission shall prescribe by regulation.", redesignated par. (4) as (3) and substituted "under paragraphs (1) and (2)" for "under paragraphs (1) and (3)", and redesignated par. (5) as (4).

1983-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–214, §8(a)(1), (2), designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and substituted "$50,000" for "$500" in provisions after par. (2).

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 98–214, §8(b), inserted "facility" after "telephone".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–214, §8(a)(3), added subsec. (b).

Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 101–166 effective 120 days after Nov. 21, 1989, see section 521(3) of Pub. L. 101–166, set out as a note under section 152 of this title.

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 100–297 effective July 1, 1988, see section 6303 of Pub. L. 100–297, set out as a note under section 1201 of Title 20, Education.

Regulations; Disposition of Complaints Pending on December 8, 1983

Section 8(c), (d) of Pub. L. 98–214 provided that:

"(c) The Federal Communications Commission shall issue regulations pursuant to section 223(b)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934 (as added by subsection (a) of this section) [subsec. (b)(2) of this section] not later than one hundred and eighty days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 8, 1983].

"(d) The Commission shall act on all complaints alleging violation of section 223 of the Communications Act of 1934 [this section] which are pending on the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 8, 1983] within ninety days of such date of enactment."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 152, 153, 228 of this title.