WASHINGTON--The FCC has voted unanimously to move ahead with stronger “know your customer” rules for voice service providers, a step aimed at stopping illegal robocalls before they enter the phone network.
The proposed rulemaking would require originating providers to do more to screen new or renewing customers before allowing them to place calls.
Under the proposal, the FCC is seeking comment on what customer information providers must collect and verify, including names, physical addresses, government-issued identification numbers and alternate phone numbers. The agency also is considering penalties tied to each illegal call, a structure intended to match enforcement costs to the scale of consumer harm.
The FCC said originating providers are in the best position to stop unlawful calls before they reach consumers, and warned weak screening can make it harder for law enforcement to identify criminals using phone networks for fraud, drug deals, violent crimes and human trafficking. CyberScoop reported the vote also fits into a broader FCC effort to harden telecom networks and close gaps that have allowed bad actors to exploit self-attestation and multi-carrier call paths.
Separately, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has proposed related action to remove voice service providers from U.S. networks when they enable illegal robocalls, along with stronger “know your upstream provider” requirements and changes to STIR/SHAKEN caller-ID authentication oversight. The FCC said those proposals are aimed at cutting bad actors out of the voice ecosystem and closing authentication loopholes, while Broadband Breakfast reported industry groups have raised concerns as the agency moves toward tighter obligations.