Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL
Re:	Targeting and Eliminating Unlawful Text Messages, CG Docket No. 21-402; Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, CG Docket No. 02-278; Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (March 16, 2023)
	More than a century ago, physiologist Ivan Pavlov did a series of experiments with food, buzzers, and dogs.  He was able to train the dogs to associate a buzzing noise with food, so much so that they began to drool whenever they heard this sound, even if there was no food around.  
Sometimes I wonder what Pavlov would think about us and our smartphones.  Because most of us are conditioned to reach for our phones anytime we hear the familiar buzz telling us a text is incoming.  In our defense, those noises have become an effective way to stay connected.  They help us keep up with family and friends and receive timely information from those we trust.   
	But there are those who want to take advantage of this trust—and our instinct, like the subjects of Pavlov’s experiment, to assume something needs attention every time we hear our devices buzz.  We see this clearly in the growing number of junk texts showing up on our phones.  Scam artists have found that sending us messages about a package you never ordered or a payment that never went through along with a link to a shady website is a quick and easy way to get us to engage on our devices and fall prey to fraud.  
	These robotexts are making a mess of our phones.  They are reducing trust in a powerful way to communicate.  So today we take our first step to stop these unwanted texts at the network level.  We put in place rules that require mobile wireless carriers to block texts that come from invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers.  In other words, we require providers to stop the texts that are most likely to be illegal.  This approach has the support of Attorneys General from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  It’s good stuff.  But we are not stopping here.  Because we also adopt a rulemaking to explore other way stop unwanted text messages, including authentication measures and rules to prevent the abuse of consumer consent.  
	Thank you to those at the agency who worked on this effort, including Mika Savir, Kim Wild, James Brown, Zac Champ, Kristi Thornton, Aaron Garza, Mark Stone, and Jerusha Burnett from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; Rakesh Patel, Lisa Zaina, Daniel Stepanicich, Kristi Thompson, Cait Barbas, Jessica Manuel, and Alexander Hobbs from the Enforcement Bureau; Susanna Larson, Garnet Hanley, Kari Hicks, and Jennifer Salhus from the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau; Elizabeth Drogula, Jonathan Lechter, and Connor Ferraro from the Wireline Competition Bureau; Kenneth Carlberg and David Furth from the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; Joycelyn James, Cara Grayer and Joy Ragsdale from the Office of Communications Business Opportunities; Emily Talaga, Kim Makuch, Mark Montano, Michelle Schaefer, Patrick Brogan from the Office of Economics and Analytics; and Derek Yeo, Bill Richardson, Rick Mallen, and Valerie Hill from the Office of General Counsel.
2