FCC Cracks Down on VOIP Providers Facilitating Spam Calls
If you’re tired of receiving illegal calls about small business loans or car insurance — often from seemingly local numbers — you’re not alone. These annoying robocalls are frequently made using Voice over IP (VOIP) services, allowing scammers to spoof local numbers and make it difficult to trace their origin.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is finally taking action, threatening to shut down over 2,400 VOIP providers that have failed to comply with federal regulations meant to combat robocalls. In a press release issued yesterday, the FCC announced that 2,411 VOIP providers did not properly file in the Robocall Mitigation database, a necessary step to block illegal robocalls. These companies must now justify why they should not be removed from the system, effectively making it harder for scammers to use their services.
This move comes in partnership with state attorneys general and aims to target companies that have failed to comply with the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID verification system and missed deadlines for submitting robocall mitigation plans. The FCC’s authority over traditional phone services is robust, but the growing use of international services makes it harder to eradicate spam calls completely. Still, this crackdown on domestic companies that allow scammers to thrive is a crucial step toward reducing the nuisance.
The FCC also outlined new rules to impose stricter fines on companies that provide fake or outdated information to the call provider database. While regulatory changes might take time to implement, the push to hold VOIP services accountable is a much-needed response to the growing problem of spam calls.
