FCC To Release Robocall Complaint Data

Much like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes details of the complaints lodged against financial services organizations, like debt collectors, the Federal Communications Commission announced yesterday that it will begin publishing complaints lodged by consumers about robocalls and telemarketing phone calls.

The objective is to help companies and developers build effective “do not disturb” technology that would allow consumers to have robocalls and telemarketing calls blocked from being made to their phones. The published data will include the originating phone number of the robocall.

“Consumers want and deserve effective tools to empower them to choose the calls and texts they  receive. This data will help improve do-not-disturb technologies so they can provide the best  service for consumers,” said Alison Kutler, chief of the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental  Affairs Bureau, which manages consumer complaints, in a statement. “As we encourage providers to offer these  services, and as the Commission recently made clear that there are no legal barriers to doing so,  we continue to look for ways to help facilitate important consumer tools.”

The FCC received more than 215,000 complaints last year about unwanted telemarketing and robocalls from consumers.

The data is available here.