In a bid to reduce the infiltration of scam robocalls, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted new rules and proposed additional measures oriented towards the modernization and strengthening of the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers’ regulations. The aim is to oversee how these providers gain direct access to telephone numbers, a fundamental process often capitalized on by scam robocall perpetrators.
As reported by Womble Bond Dickinson, this movement by the FCC aims to instate stronger controls to mitigate unauthorized access to telephone numbers through the refining of norms for VoIP providers. This mechanism, if successful, would not only yield a significant reduction in fraudulent robocalls, but it would also help in safeguarding the integrity of the VoIP service and the user data associated with it.
About 85% of fraudulent robocalls are estimated to be propagated by VoIP services due to the relatively unregulated access to phone numbers. While the robocall issue has been a long-standing problem, complexities associated with VoIP services have worsened the situation, making the task of tracking and penalizing scam callers much harder.
The new rules adopted by the FCC primarily revolve around the strict evaluation of VoIP providers before they gain direct access to phone numbers, introducing a higher level of accountability. Furthermore, additional rules are being considered, aimed at strengthening the overall robustness of the VoIP number access structure.
These steps by the FCC are an integral part of the global narrative to combat the growth of scam robocalls, an issue touching global corporations and individuals alike. Ultimately, the success of these regulations and their impact on the issue will to a large extent depend on the agility with which they are enforced, and the overall baseline level of compliance within VoIP providers.