Attorneys general call on FCC to stem robocall influx

Top state law enforcement officials are calling on the federal government to do more to stem the tide of robocalls.

Attorneys general from 49 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission backing the agency’s efforts to require telephone providers to beef up measures to prevent fraudulent and illegal calls.

“State AGs recognize that the Commission’s proposed actions, including mandatory call blocking, will not completely eradicate the illegal robocall epidemic,” the letter from the National Association of Attorneys General states. “However, we are confident that the proposals under consideration will help bring bad actors to account.”

The proposed FCC actions the attorneys general support include extending the implementation of Caller ID authentication technology called STIR/SHAKEN beyond call origination providers to also include intermediate providers, which they said would make it “more difficult, and costly, for bad actors to find providers that are still willing to route their illegal and fraudulent call traffic.”

They also support requiring intermediate providers to respond to law enforcement traceback requests within 24 hours and blocking illegal traffic.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen (R) was the only chief law enforcement officer who did not sign the letter.