FTC Submits Comment to FCC About Providers' Ability to Block Illegal Phone Calls
The FTC is backing FCC efforts to give telecommunications providers the ability to block illegal calls at the network level. In a Monday news release, the FTC said it voted 2-0 to submit a comment to docket 17-59 on the…
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FCC's NPRM seeking two types of provider-based call blocking. One is when "the subscriber to a particular telephone number requests that telecommunications providers block calls originating from that number," the release said. The second is when the "originating number is invalid, unallocated, or unassigned." The FTC's release said provider-based call blocking at the network level is the most effective type of blocking since it stops calls before they get to consumers. The FTC also said the problem goes beyond illegal robocalls and includes those made by a live operator "that are abusive, fraudulent, or unlawful," which should be clarified by the FCC. The FTC also said providers need to resolve how to address illegal caller ID spoofing or when they inadvertently block a consumer or business phone number. The FTC told the FCC to provide flexible standards in helping providers deal with blocking "presumptively illegal" calls.