A federal proposal allowing robo-calls to cell phones has been withdrawn by the sponsors after facing strong opposition from Attorneys General and consumer advocates across the county. Last week, Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens and 53 other Attorneys General sent a letter to the Members of Congress urging them to oppose the legislation targeting consumers’ telephone privacy.

On Wednesday, the bill sponsors sent a letter to the chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee asking that the “Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011” be pulled. The bill would have amended the Communications Act of 1934 to permit automated calls to all cell phones, leaving consumers to foot the bill.

“The withdrawal of the ‘Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011’ will preserve the telephone privacy of cell phone consumers,” said Olens. “Much credit goes to Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller who raised a red flag and led the effort to protect cell phone users from unwanted robo-calls. The bill sponsors heard our concerns, and I am pleased that they recognized the slippery slope of giving businesses carte blanche to make calls to personal cell phones.”