(Credit: Fajrul Islam via Getty Images)
The Federal Communications Commission is finally cracking down on over 1,200 voice providers for neglecting to follow anti-robocalling rules.
After issuing a warning in December, the FCC on Monday announced it had blocked the providers from US telecommunication networks. "These providers violated FCC rules by failing to maintain accurate Robocall Mitigation Database certifications, thereby shirking their obligations to protect consumers from illegal robocalls,” the agency says.
In December, the FCC threatened to block 2,411 voice providers—many of them little-known VoIP services for businesses and niche use cases—for failing to follow anti-robocall rules in the US and serving as potential conduits for spam calls.
At the time, the FCC gave the providers 14 days to submit an explanation or remedy the problem. That delay prompted some critics to accuse it of failing to enforce its own rules.
In its announcement, the commission said it blocked a preliminary group of 185 providers on Aug. 6. The rest were flagged for “missing the required information in their certifications,” despite receiving a notification from the commission, the FCC’s order says.
The same order requires legitimate voice providers to "cease accepting traffic directly from the Companies within two business days." The flagged companies also can't refile into the Robocall Mitigation Database unless they receive consent from the FCC's enforcement bureau.
Other voice providers appear to have filed with the FCC's Robocall Mitigation Database to avoid the crackdown. This database requires companies to explain their anti-robocall efforts. In another case, the voice provider may have deregistered entirely.
With any luck, the crackdown will reduce the number of spam calls in the US. Last month, over 4.3 billion spam calls were made in the country, down 3.1% from the prior month, according to YouMail, which offers robocall blocking.