FCC Threatens VOIP Providers for Failure to Combat Spam Calls
Annoyed by constant robocalls, especially those coming from local numbers but obviously not from around your area? Chances are, these calls are coming from scammers using Voice over IP (VOIP) services to spoof local numbers, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking action against the providers enabling this behavior.
In a recent announcement, the FCC revealed that 2,411 VOIP providers have failed to meet the requirements of the Robocall Mitigation Database, a system designed to help eliminate robocalls. These providers are now being given a chance to explain why they shouldn’t be removed from the database, a move that could have serious consequences for the providers profiting off of scam calls.
The FCC, in partnership with attorneys general from all 50 states and Washington D.C., has targeted these companies for failing to implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocol, which verifies caller ID, and for not submitting robocall mitigation plans. The agency claims these companies have missed multiple deadlines, making them complicit in facilitating illegal calls.
Along with these actions, the FCC has proposed new rules to increase fines for companies that provide false or outdated information in the call provider database. While the global nature of many spam calls makes complete eradication impossible, this move aims to hinder domestic services that scammers often rely on to make robocalls easier.
The FCC’s push to shut down companies profiting from such tactics seems like a step in the right direction, even if complete spam call elimination remains a distant goal.