Companies offering voice services in the US must now file a certification demonstrating their robocall mitigation plans annually or face fines of $1,000 if they fail to keep their information current.
The changes also introduce fines starting from $10,000 for firms that submit false or inaccurate information.
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“Companies using America’s phone networks must be actively involved in protecting
consumers from scammers,” said Jessica Rosenworcel, chair of the FCC. “We are
tightening our rules to ensure voice service providers know their responsibilities and help stop junk robocalls.”
The Robocall Database was created after a spam call last January targeted New Hampshire citizens, featuring an AI-generated voice of President Biden attempting to discourage them from voting.
Despite the FCC cracking down on robocalls, a bipartisan coalition of 47 state Attorney Generals called on the agency to toughen its database rules to penalise providers by blocking their authorisations if they file false or inadequate information.
The new rules also direct the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau to launch a dedicated reporting mechanism and create best practices for filers. Accessing the database now also requires two-factor authentication.
The new rules follow findings from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau that 2,411 companies were non-compliant, ordering them to address deficiencies in their filings or face removal from the database.
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