They may be an unwelcome annoyance for every person with a phone, but several business groups say automated telephone calls provide a vital link between companies and their customers. Now those same groups are seeking to overturn new federal rules restricting the use of the technology.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce became the latest organization to challenge the Federal Communications Commission for new rules that ban most unwanted automated calls—better known as "robocalls"—and spam text messages. The petition was filed in U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

The Chamber's complaint follows a lawsuit filed by the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals International in July and a suit filed by the Consumer Bankers Association on Tuesday.

FCC adopted the new rules in June as part of an effort to crack down on unwanted phone calls and messages. The commission said it receives thousands of complaints about unwanted calls each month, more than any other type of complaint.

Among other things, the rules allow service providers to offer robocall-blocking technologies, let customers revoke their consent to receive robocalls at any time and reaffirm that consumers are entitled to the same protections with texts as they are with voice calls.

The Chamber and other organizations say consumers have the right to control who is calling them. However, they argue the rules go too far in eroding protections for businesses that use automated calls or texts to communicate with customers.

"These arbitrary new limits will fuel abusive class action lawsuits against businesses," said Harold Kim, executive vice president of the Chamber's Institute for Legal Reform.

ACA International CEO Patrick Morris said FCC was misinterpreting the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the law that restricts the use of telemarketers and automated dialing machines. The law requires that government strike a balance between consumer protection and commercial interests, and Morris believes it fails to do that.

"The FCC's ruling is at odds with the plain language of the TCPA, the original intent of Congress, and common sense," he said. "Unfortunately, ACA must now turn to the courts in order to challenge the FCC's attempt to expand its own power and sidestep Congress."

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