FCC seeks to stop robocalls passing through caller ID authentication in older technology
April 28 (UPI) -- The FCC wants to block robocalls from bypassing ID authentication tools in older non-Internet Protocol network technology.
Mass recordings promoting or selling something are illegal unless the person gives permission to be contacted.
But fraudsters have been able to pass through older non-IP technology and avoid digital fingerprints. These include cellphones and wired phones often transmitting small amounts of data infrequently.
On Monday, Federal Communications Commission panelists by a 4-0 vote moved forward to make sure the digital IDs are not washed off of any part of the call path.
They approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish criteria for evaluating whether frameworks meet the TRACED Act standards. Commissioners want providers to regularly certify their implementation and would give them two years to comply after adoption of the new rule.
The agency is seeking comment on implementation of caller ID authentication solutions and is trying to determine if this "opens the door for further improvements down the road," the agency said in a news release.
For the last four years, the FCC has delayed the TRACED Act's deadline for carriers to implement an authentication framework for non-IP calls.
"The STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication framework is a critical element -- long championed by the Commission -- for tracking, blocking, and warning customers about malicious robocalls," a news release said.
The technology uses a caller ID system to verify whether calls on a provider's network are truly coming from the number on display.
In 2021, major U.S. phone providers -- including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast -- were ordered to implement STIR/SHAKEN technology to prevent rampant spam calls.
STIR/SHAKEN are acronyms for the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using Tokens standards, with STIR representing the protocol and SHAKEN the framework for tracking robocalls.
The FAA has been trying to crack down on robocallers.
Unwanted calls dropped for the third straight year, according to data released by the Federal Trade Commission in November 2024.
The 2024 edition of the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call Registry Data Book, first created in 2003, shows complaints down by more than half since 2021. They were 1.1 million illegal robocalls last year, down from 1.2 million the year before and 3.4 million in 2021.
The registry allows Americans to add their information to a list, prohibiting them from being contacted by telemarketers.
"In the years to come, it will be critical we continue this progress by confronting not only telemarketers but those firms who knowingly profit from scam calls," FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Sam Levine said in 2024.
In December, the FCC proposed a $299.9 million fine for Roy Cox Jr. and Michael Aaron Jones, who robocalled more than 550 million people offering misleading vehicle warranty services. TheFCC directed companies to book the calls.
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