Tired of being harassed by endless robo-calls? Bipartisan legislation recently passed in the US House and Senate, and expected to soon be signed by President Trump, might soon provide you with some relief.
When signed into the law the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act) will allow the Federal Communications Commission to fine illegal robocallers $10,000 for every call. It will also require major cellphone carriers to use a new technology known as STIR/SHAKEN which will give people better ability to identify whether an incoming call is legitimate or not. STIR/SHAKEN technology allows cellphone carriers to cross-verify phone numbers across each other’s user base, which allows them to confirm whether a call is being made from a legitimate or spoofed number.
The bill was passed in overwhelming bipartisan fashion in early December, and the Senate passed it unanimously on Thursday, paving the way for President Trump to sign it into law, which he is expected to do before New Year’s.
The FCC has been taking further steps to combat the flood of robocalls that Americans face every day. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced earlier this year that they would be making overseas robocalls and spoofed text messages with malicious intent, illegal.
Republican and Democrat leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee congratulated their Senate colleagues after the bill’s passage.
“We’re delighted the Senate acted quickly to pass this legislation to shut down illegal robocalls,” said committee leaders. “We’re working hard to help the American people get real relief from these relentless and illegal calls.”
my phone, for sometime now, has been putting the word ‘scam’ on caller ID when it’s an unfamiliar number
It’s about time! These calls are out of hand! Legit 5 times a day and doesn’t help to block their numbers cuz they’ll call from a dif number next time… speaking from experience… can wait for this law to actually happen!