Media Contact: Will Wiquist will.wiquist@fcc.gov For Immediate Release FCC ACCELERATES ITS ILLEGAL ROBOCALL BLOCKING EFFORTS AGAINST GATEWAY PROVIDER One Owl Faces Widespread Network Blocking If It Does Not Comply with FCC Call Blocking Rules -- WASHINGTON, September 19, 2023—The FCC’s Robocall Response Team today accelerated its illegal robocall blocking efforts against voice service provider One Owl Telecom which has not complied with FCC call blocking rules for gateway providers suspected of carrying illegal traffic. The Enforcement Bureau has already advised other providers that they may cut off traffic from One Owl if it does not comply and has issued a warning to the company. FCC investigators have found that One Owl operated as a gateway provider for international robocalls. Robocalls on One Owl’s network apparently bombarded consumers without their consent with prerecorded messages about fictitious orders purportedly from “ACM Trading LLC.” Some calls asked consumers to confirm the order. Other calls stated that a “pre-authorized order” had been “placed on your name.” The Industry Traceback Group conducted tracebacks and determined that the calls originated overseas and that One Owl acted as either the originator or gateway provider for the calls. One Owl’s apparently unlawful conduct emerged in the wake of the Bureau’s enforcement actions against two other entities to whom One Owl is closely related: Illum Telecommunication Limited and One Eye LLC. While operating under different corporate names, these entities have shared personnel, IP addresses, customers, and a penchant for disregarding FCC rules. The Bureau will continue to closely monitor One Owl and any related entities. FCC Leadership: Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “It’s not right when illegal robocalls flood our phones. We need to stop them in every way we can. Today’s action takes out a carrier responsible for these scam calls. But we won’t let up here. We have to keep at it until we get all of this junk off the line.” Enforcement Bureau: Chief Loyaan A. Egal: “One Owl faces a simple choice—comply or lose access to U.S. communications networks. The FCC has stood up strong rules requiring providers that serve as gateways for international illegal robocalls to be active and effective participants in our fight against scam robocalls.” What’s New: The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued an initial determination order against One Owl, moving the company one step closer to facing mandatory blocking from other providers – a fate that also faced its predecessor corporate entity, One Eye. If One Owl fails to respond and begin combatting—rather than supporting—illegal robocalls, the FCC will order all immediate downstream providers to block all traffic from One Owl. How We Got Here: The Enforcement Bureau recently issued a K4 Notice to notify all U.S.-based voice service providers about substantial amounts of apparently unlawful robocalls originating from or transmitted by One Owl. The Bureau also issued a cease-and-desist letter to One Owl, demanding that it take immediate action to investigate and block the suspected illegal traffic, and report the results of its actions to the FCC. To date, One Owl has not responded and the FCC is not aware of any efforts the company has taken to investigate or block the suspected illegal traffic. The Bureau’s order today follows previous enforcement actions it has taken against entities closely related to One Owl. In October 2021 the Bureau issued a cease-and-desist letter to Illum for transmitting illegal robocall campaigns. Earlier this year the Bureau also issued a similar cease-and-desist letter to One Eye, a K4 Notice, an Initial Determination Order demanding compliance with the FCC’s rules, and a first-of-its-kind RoboBlocking Order requiring other providers to block One Eye’s traffic. The FCC has solidified its robocall defenses when it comes to gateway providers, including by adopting the Gateway Provider Order last year which increased the obligations of these providers to police their own networks and imposed consequences on gateway providers that fail to do so. This built upon the Commission’s call blocking rules by requiring gateway providers to block illegal traffic when notified of such traffic by the Commission. The Bigger Picture: Chairwoman Rosenworcel established the FCC’s Robocall Response Team to serve as an FCC staff working group to combat the unyielding menace of illegal spoofed, or scam, robocalls. The team pulls together expertise from across the agency to leverage the talents of enforcers, attorneys, policy makers, engineers, economists, and outreach experts. Getting Results: · Blocking active robocall scam campaigns by issuing first-of-their-kind actions: o 99% drop in auto warranty scam robocalls after an FCC action; o 88% month-to-month drop in student loan scam robocalls; o Halted predatory mortgage robocalls targeting homeowners nationwide; · Fining companies record-breaking amounts for illegal robocalls and spoofing; · Closing gateways used by international robocallers to reach Americans’ phones; · Widespread implementation of STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication standards – including applying the requirements to gateway providers; · Working with industry to traceback illegal calls to their sources; · Ensuring voice service providers meet FCC robocall mitigation requirements; · Signing robocall investigation partnerships with 47 states, District of Columbia, Guam, and international partners; · Establishing first-of-their-kind regulations targeting scam text messaging; and, · Launching the Robocall Mitigation Database to monitor STIR/SHAKEN compliance. ### Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / 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).