With any luck, this should greatly reduce the number of robocalls you receive throughout the day.
President Trump on Wednesday signed the TRACED anti-Robocall legislation into law, extending the FCC’s powers regarding enforcement and potentially fines.
The bill, known in full as the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, the planned anti-robocall legislation has become law, and received bipartisan support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“This historic legislation will provide American consumers with even greater protection against annoying unsolicited robocalls,” wrote the office of Stephanie Grisham, White House Press Secretary.
The Pallone-Thune TRACED act, named for Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chiefly extends the powers and authority of the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC will be able to impose fines of up to $10,000 per call for robocallers defined as abusing the system and committing offenses. Offenders may now be prosecuted by the Justice Department.
Carriers will be requirement to incorporate STIR/SHAKEN-like authentication technology, which works to combat call number spoofing. These carriers will also be required to offer call blocking services to their users for free. Prior to this, 12 carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, had promised to implement authentication procedures.
The Federal Communications Commission, under the TRACED legislation, will be required to provide annual reports on enforcement. Before the law comes into effect, the FCC will also have to work on rules regarding spam calls and texts.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Congress.gov