A coalition of 49 state attorneys general expressed support for the Federal Communications Commission’s Robocall Mitigation Database proposal while urging the agency to require better vetting of the information that telecommunications providers submit.
All voice service providers must register in the RMD and submit information on their practices to prevent the transmission of illegal calls over their networks. The FCC is proposing to bolster the database by, among other things, requiring entities to file more specific information on their efforts to prevent the transmission of illegal calls, creating a more robust pre-screening process for RMD submissions, and limiting exemptions from filing requirements.
The American Bankers Association and 10 other associations recently endorsed the FCC proposal while offering their own recommendations to strengthen it. In a letter, the attorneys general said they supported strengthening the database but believed that the FCC could go further. To start, the commission should ensure that all information available to the public through the RMD is thoroughly reviewed and determined to be accurate and complete, they said. The attorneys general also encouraged the FCC to use technological tools to vet new entrants to the RMD and determine their relationships with bad or questionable actors.
In addition, the attorneys general encouraged the adoption of a “knew or should have known” standard “to heighten accountability of those providers that choose to look the other way and not become familiar with their obligations,” and take other steps to avoid repeat offenders.
The attorneys general “endorse those measures that would allow the RMD to move closer to becoming the flagship tool envisioned by the FCC: a trustworthy resource of fully vetted, accurate, and complete filings that can serve as the centerpiece of both law enforcement’s and industry’s common fight against illegal calls,” they said.
