The chair of the Federal Communications Commission has asked Congress to “fix” the definition of an automated telephone dialing system because the current definition may be the reason why the number of robotexts is increasing, and wants to be able to collect on the fines it assesses, according to a …
Read More »FCC Looks to Expand STIR/SHAKEN to non-IP Phones
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday announced its first steps toward closing a “small but still important hole” in its robocall protection defense, launching a Notice of Inquiry into expanding the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication protocols for non-IP networks. STIR/SHAKEN went into effect last year, requiring carriers to deploy technology that …
Read More »FCC Starts Rulemaking Process to Block Unwanted Text Messages
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks to crack down on illegal and fraudulent text messages, finally taking action more than a year after initially announcing the proposal. The number of complaints received by the FCC related to unwanted text messages increased by 146% …
Read More »FCC Proposes $116M Fine for Illegal Robocalls, Rosenworcel Wants FCC to be able to Collect
Irony alert. The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a fine of $116 million against a company accused of making illegal robocalls to the toll-free numbers of businesses and using prerecorded messages to inform the businesses about the dangers of scam calls and telling the businesses to report scam calls to …
Read More »FCC Adopts New Rules to Battle Robocalls
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted a new rule that requires gateway providers — companies that connect calls between networks — to comply with STIR/SHAKEN caller ID protocols and take additional measures to verify the identity of providers whose traffic they are routing or face having their calls blocked from …
Read More »FCC Proposes Rule To Curb More Robocall Activity
The Federal Communications Commission has unveiled new rules — that it will vote on next month — aimed at requiring all gateway providers comply with anti-spoofing and robocall rules or face having all traffic blocked by other networks. The Commission will vote on the proposed rule at its next meeting, …
Read More »FCC Chair Says Congress May Need to Act to Expand Definition of ATDS Under TCPA
The chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission is calling on Congress to help amend the definition of an automated telephone dialing system because the Supreme Court’s decision in Facebook v. Duguid “could lead to less consumer protection from robocalls,” she wrote in a letter responding to a request from Rep. …
Read More »FCC Orders Trio of Networks to Remove Illegal Robocall Traffic or Face Shutdown
The Federal Communications Commission has warned a trio of voice service providers that they are apparently allowing the transmission of illegal robocalls on their networks and had 48 hours to block that traffic or they would face having all of the traffic blocked. The networks — thinQ Technologies, Airespring, and …
Read More »FCC Goes After Two Providers For Not Meeting STIR/SHAKEN Deadlines
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday announced that two telecom companies have failed to fully implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocols and have been referred to the regulator’s enforcement unit for further investigation. The providers — Bandwidth and Vonage — also lost any “leniency” that STIR/SHAKEN provided to networks that were attempting to …
Read More »FCC Chair Seeks to Classify Ringless Voicemails as Calls Under TCPA, Requiring Consumer Consent
The Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission yesterday announced the release of a Declaratory Ruling that classifies ringless voicemail messages to consumers’ cell phones as calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, meaning that consumers would have to provide their consent prior to receiving such messages. The Ruling — which …
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