[coldtea]

Then the law should enumerate very specific actions that only those are allowed (e.g. sending you an email or calling your director home or mobile number only, and only, say, once a month). Anything else should be punishible.

Or the law could get a little more flexible and punish them for their intent, even if what they do is a "gray" area.

Or it could also make "collection agencies" illegal in their entirety.

The other side can just inform you of your debt, once, and if you fail to comply within a legally mandated deadline, they can go through the courts if they want to pursue it further. Who said "debt collecting" companies should be a thing?

[antisthenes]

The law about collections has been trending towards "only this is allowed" for a long time.

It takes time for the legal system to set precedents and create a legal body of work around issues like these. It moves very slow.

Thankfully, at least for medical debt, there are pretty harsh laws against collections.