Those annoying robocalls that drive people crazy are the targets of a bill before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology today. The “Stopping Bad Robocalls Act” would require the FCC to adopt consumer protection rules, forcing telecom companies to install technology that would identify and block more of the calls. Maureen Mahoney with Consumer Reports says many come from scammers who manipulate caller ID displays.
“Many of these calls have spoofed caller ID, and that makes it trickier to block these calls. So, by requiring technology that would authenticate caller ID, phone companies will be better enabled to automatically block calls with confidence.”
The bill, which has bipartisan support, would also make it easier to pursue violators. According to the company “You Mail,” which tracks spam calls, Americans received almost 48 billion robocalls in 2018, an increase of more than 56% over the year before.
