Media Contact: Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509 will.wiquist@fcc.gov For Immediate Release CHAIRMAN PAI ANNOUNCES CRITICAL STEP IN FIGHTING SPOOFED ROBOCALLS: MANDATING STIR/SHAKEN CALLER ID AUTHENTICATION Widespread Implementation Will Yield Substantial Benefits For American Consumers WASHINGTON, March 6, 2020—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai today proposed a major step forward to further the FCC’s efforts to protect consumers against spoofed robocalls: new rules requiring implementation of caller ID authentication using so-called “STIR/SHAKEN” technological standards. STIR/SHAKEN enables phone companies to verify the accuracy of caller ID information that is transmitted with a call. Industry-wide implementation would reduce the effectiveness of illegal spoofing, allow law enforcement to identify bad actors more easily, and help phone companies identify calls with illegally spoofed caller ID information before those calls reach their subscribers. The FCC will vote on these new rules during its Open Meeting on March 31. “All of us are fed up with robocalls—including me,” said Chairman Pai. “We’ve taken many steps to stem the tide of spoofed robocalls. I’m excited about the proposal I’m advancing today: requiring phone companies to adopt a caller ID authentication framework called STIR/SHAKEN. Widespread implementation will give American consumers a lot more peace of mind when they pick up the phone. Last year, I demanded that major phone companies voluntarily deploy STIR/SHAKEN, and a number of them did. But it’s clear that FCC action is needed to spur across-the-board deployment of this important technology. There is no silver bullet when it comes to eradicating robocalls, but this is a critical shot at the target.” The FCC estimates that the benefits of eliminating the wasted time and nuisance caused by illegal scam robocalls will exceed $3 billion annually, and STIR/SHAKEN is an important part of realizing those cost savings. Additionally, when paired with call analytics, STIR/SHAKEN will help protect American consumers from fraudulent robocall schemes that cost Americans approximately $10 billion annually. Improved caller ID authentication will also benefit public safety by reducing spoofed robocalls that disrupt healthcare and emergency communications systems. Further, implementation of STIR/SHAKEN will restore consumer trust in caller ID information and encourage consumers to answer the phone, thereby benefitting businesses, healthcare providers, and non-profit organizations. In June 2019, the Commission proposed and sought public comment on whether to mandate implementation of STIR/SHAKEN if major voice service providers did not voluntarily do so by the end of the year. In December 2019, Congress passed and the President signed into law the TRACED Act, which directs the Commission to require voice service providers to implement STIR/SHAKEN in their networks within 18 months of the law’s enactment. If adopted, and consistent with the TRACED Act, Chairman Pai’s proposal would require originating and terminating voice service providers to implement STIR/SHAKEN in the Internet Protocol (IP) portions of their networks by June 30, 2021. An accompanying Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, if adopted, would propose giving one-year extensions of this deadline for small and rural providers pursuant to the TRACED Act. The Further Notice would also seek public input on implementing other aspects of the TRACED Act, including requirements that voice service providers work toward deploying caller ID authentication in the non-IP parts of their networks. Over the past three years, the Commission has been aggressive in executing a multi-part strategy for combatting spoofed robocalls—issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for violations of its Truth in Caller ID rules; expanding those rules to reach foreign calls and text messages; enabling voice service providers to block certain clearly unlawful calls before they reach consumers’ phones; and clarifying that voice service providers may offer call-blocking services by default. The FCC has also called on the industry to “trace back” illegal spoofed calls and text messages to their original sources. ### Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / TTY: (888) 835-5322 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).