The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday issued a final rule that requires voice service providers to provide more timely updated information to the Robocall Mitigation Database and provides increased penalties for non-compliance. The rule is effective Feb. 5.
The FCC requires all voice service providers to file certifications in the database regarding their efforts to fight illegal robocalls on their networks, including the extent to which they have implemented the “STIR/SHAKEN” call authentication framework. Information in the database is used by downstream providers, which rely on the database to determine the permissibility of traffic carried on their networks, as well as by federal and state law enforcement bodies for their own investigations of suspected illegal calls.
Voice service providers must refuse call traffic sent directly from any provider that does not appear in the database. However, the FCC’s review of filings in the database found a “lack of thoroughness and diligence by some providers and, in some cases, malfeasance by bad actors.”
In the final rule, the FCC requires entities that submit filings to the database to update any information within 10 business days of any change to that information. The previous rule provided no deadline for submitting updates. The rule also establishes a base forfeiture of $10,000 for entities that submit false or inaccurate information to the database, up from the existing $3,000 base forfeiture amount.
In comments previously submitted, ABA expressed support for the FCC’s efforts through this rulemaking to enhance the database’s effectiveness as a tool to combat illegal automated calls.
