On Thursday May 23rd, 2019, the Senate approved the TRACED Act which will dramatically increase fines for illegal robocalls. The bill passed with an overwhelming 97-1 vote. Only a single vote from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was against the legislation. The TRACED Act’s next stop is the House of Representatives. If approved, expect an increase… Continue reading Senate Overwhelmingly Approves TRACED Act
Tag: Robocalls
What is the TRACED Act?
The TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act) was sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-SD), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS). Its purpose is to combat robocalls with stronger deterrents. As the volume of illegal calls has increased, so has the attention of regulators. They are especially concerned about calls from scammers… Continue reading What is the TRACED Act?
FCC Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default
On May 15, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) submitted a proposal that would allow phone carriers to block unwanted robocalls to their customers by default. Most phone service providers offer call-blocking as an opt-in service, but this new initiative would allow robocall blocking by phone carriers without opt-in. The proposal will not compel phone companies… Continue reading FCC Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default
Wisconsin Federal Court Vicarious Liability Ruling Could Spell Trouble for Platform Providers
A Wisconsin court issued a ruling this month that could result in more TCPA lawsuits against automated calling and texting platform providers. In the court’s ruling on Cunningham v. Montes, the court held that under the TCPA, providers of autodialing services can be held liable under vicarious liability for unlawful calls made using their platform. The lawsuit… Continue reading Wisconsin Federal Court Vicarious Liability Ruling Could Spell Trouble for Platform Providers
FCC Chairman Pai Announces SHAKEN/STIR Robocall Summit
July 11th, 2019 The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Ajit Pai announced that he will host a summit on July 11th, 2019 to examine telco companies progress in implementing the SHAKEN (Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) and STIR (Secure Telephony Identity Revisited) caller ID authentication standards. This is another significant step toward ensuring… Continue reading FCC Chairman Pai Announces SHAKEN/STIR Robocall Summit
Robocall Scammer’s Historic $120 Million FCC Fine
The largest robocall fine in history was issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FCC). The $120 million fine against Adrian Abramovich was for making nearly 100 million robocalls over a three month period that spoofed CallerID.
ROBOCOP Act Creates Roadblock For Debt Collectors
On April 18th six U.S. Senators introduced the ROBOCOP Act which requires phone companies to offer their customers free robocall blocking technology. The bill is intended to protect consumers from overseas scammers. Unfortunately, it could also become a major headache for debt collectors.
FCC-FTC Robocall Policy Forum Highlights
On Friday, March 23, the FCC-FTC held the first of two scheduled forums addressing illegal robocalls. This first meeting brought together telecommunications experts and officials from the FCC and FTC to discuss ways for dealing with the growing problem of illegal robocalls.
FTC-FCC Agenda For March 2018 Joint Policy Forum
The FTC and FCC have announced the agenda for their first of two joint Robocall forums. The topic at the March 23 event will cover the regulatory challenges posed by illegal robocalls and what the two agencies are doing to protect consumers and encourage the development of private-sector solutions.
FTC and FCC to Co-host Two Robocall Policy Forums
The two federal agencies that affect the telemarketing industry the most, the FTC and the FCC, have announced that they will be co-hosting two events aimed at reducing Illegal Robocalls and Caller ID spoofing.