Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist
will.wiquist@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

FCC FURTHER EXPANDS ITS ROBOCALL BLOCKING RULES
New Rules Require One-Day Traceback Support from All Voice Service Providers and Expand Traffic Blocking Obligations for Originating Providers
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WASHINGTON, May 18, 2023—The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to further expand call blocking requirements to ensure even greater robocall protections for consumers. The new rules extend several call blocking requirements to include voice service providers that are not currently covered by FCC rules.   

With the Report and Order adopted today, FCC rules will further enlist service providers in the fight against unwanted robocalls by extending our 24-hour traceback requirement to cover all voice service providers.  Carriers will be required to support FCC and industry efforts to trace illegal robocalls across various networks and back to their originating sources.  The rules will also require providers that originate illegal robocall traffic to block that traffic when notified by the Commission.  

The FCC will also now require all voice service providers to take reasonable and effective steps to ensure that any immediate upstream provider from which they accept call traffic is not using it to carry or process a high volume of illegal traffic.

The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking also adopted today will seek public comment on a variety of other anti-robocall tools and strategies including requiring providers to adopt analytics-based blocking, requiring providers to block based on do-not-originate lists, whether to require the display of caller name information in certain cases, and increasing forfeitures for voice service providers that fail to comply with the Commission’s rules.  Today’s action includes a Notice of Inquiry that will seek input on the tools voice service providers use to combat illegal calls, including an industry tool known as a “honeypot,” and on the current state of call labeling, including the extent of its use and its accuracy.

Robocalls persist as a significant problem for consumers.  Unwanted call complaints continue to be far-and-away the largest category of consumer complaints to the FCC, with approximately 157,000 in 2020, 164,000 in 2021, 119,000 in 2022.  One industry estimate indicates that the average U.S. consumer receives 14 spam or fraud calls per month.  And these calls have real consumer consequences: according to the FTC, 20% of fraud reports it received in 2022 had a phone call as the contact method and U.S. consumers reported a total of $798 million lost to fraud via phone call, with a median loss of $1,400.

Action by the Commission May 18, 2023 by Order, Further Notice, and Notice of Inquiry (FCC 23-37).  Chairwoman Rosenworcel, Commissioners Carr, Starks, and Simington approving.  Chairwoman Rosenworcel and Commissioner Starks issuing separate statements.

CG Docket No. 17-59; WC Docket No. 17-97 

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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).