For Immediate Release:
Monday, August 9, 2021
Contact:
Nazneen Ahmed (919) 716-0060
Urges the FCC to Accelerate Deadline for STIR/SHAKEN Adoption
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today led a bipartisan group of 51 attorneys general urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fight back against the scourge of illegal robocalls by moving up the deadline for smaller telephone companies to implement caller ID technology. Attorney General Stein is co-leading these comments with Attorney General Josh Shapiro (PA) and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (AR).
“Telephone companies big and small need to do more to stop the illegal robocalls that originate on and use their networks to spam North Carolinians all day long,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I’m calling on the FCC to require smaller telephone companies to act faster to implement technology that will help block illegal robocalls and spoofed calls and bring us back some peace of mind. I’ll continue to do everything in my power to fight this scourge of unlawful, harmful robocalls.”
Under the TRACED Act, which became law in 2019, phone companies are required to implement STIR/SHAKEN technology on their networks. This caller ID authentication technology helps ensure that telephone calls are originating from verified numbers, not spoofed sources. Large companies were required to implement the technology by June 2021, and smaller phone companies were given an extension until June 2023.
However, some of the same smaller phone companies that are benefitting from this extension are also responsible for originating or facilitating high volumes of illegal robocalls that spam Americans and lead to financial or personal data loss. And without the STIR/SHAKEN technology in place, these smaller companies are failing to take a necessary step to minimize the continued onslaught of illegally spoofed robocalls that harm residents.
The coalition of attorneys general are asking the FCC to require these companies to implement the STIR/SHAKEN technology as soon as possible and no later than June 30, 2022.
Attorney General Stein is joined in submitting today’s comments by the Attorneys General of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
A copy of the comments is available here.
More on Attorney General Stein’s work to fight robocalls:
- Attorney General Josh Stein Leads Bipartisan Coalition Fighting to Defend Robocall Protections
- Attorney General Josh Stein Reaches $210 Million Settlement with Dish Network Over Illegal Telemarking Calls
- Attorney General Josh Stein Leads Bipartisan Coalition of 38 Attorneys General Urging U.S. Supreme Court to Block Robocall Loopholes
- Attorney General Josh Stein Leads States’ Efforts to Expose Illegal Robocallers
- Attorney General Josh Stein Takes Texas Robocallers to Court
###