Palmetto State News

Attorney General Alan Wilson, along with a bipartisan coalition of 46 other attorneys general, has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enhance their Robocall Mitigation Database. The request aims to close loopholes that allow bad actors to exploit the U.S. telephone network.

“It’s no surprise that the same people who bombard us with unwanted robocalls would lie to get around efforts to reduce those calls, so the FCC needs to take action to close the loopholes and put some teeth into that database,” Attorney General Wilson stated.

The current system requires providers to register on the FCC’s database to operate as voice service providers in the United States. However, since its inception in 2021, it has not effectively prevented bad actors from acquiring legitimate registrations for sending illegal robocalls through the network. This issue arises because companies can submit non-vetted information without facing significant consequences for inaccuracies or misleading submissions.

The attorneys general propose strengthening the database by clarifying submission requirements for providers and setting deadlines. They also suggest validating submitted data to identify inaccuracies and penalizing false or inadequate submissions by denying authorization and blocking non-compliant providers. If implemented, these measures could hinder bad actors' access to the U.S. telephone network and reduce illegal robocalls reaching American consumers.

Attorney General Wilson is part of the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force, which focuses on investigating and enforcing actions against entities responsible for large volumes of illegal robocall traffic across the country.

Wilson's letter is supported by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi Missouri Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming and Washington D.C.