Attorney General Kwame Raoul, alongside attorneys general from Arkansas, North Carolina, and Ohio, is leading a coalition of 46 attorneys general urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enhance its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD). The coalition aims to close a loophole that allows malicious entities to exploit the U.S. telephone network.
"Robocalls cost consumers time and money and violate their privacy, and the FCC provides critical federal protections that enhance state efforts to address the problem," stated Raoul. He emphasized the need for improved accountability in the RMD to help reduce illegal robocalls affecting Illinois residents and others nationwide.
The FCC requires telecommunications providers to register on its database to operate as voice service providers in the United States. However, since its inception in 2021, the RMD has not effectively prevented bad actors from acquiring legitimate registrations for sending illegal robocalls through the U.S. network. Providers have submitted unverified information without facing significant consequences for inaccuracies or misleading data.
Raoul and his coalition are advocating for stronger measures within the RMD. They propose clearer guidelines on required information submission, validation of submitted data to identify inaccuracies, and penalties for false submissions by blocking non-compliant providers from operating. These changes aim to restrict access for bad actors and reduce illegal robocalls reaching U.S. consumers.
Attorney General Raoul has consistently supported measures against illegal robocalls. He participates in both the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force and the Robocall Mitigation Working Group, focusing on enforcement actions against those responsible for substantial volumes of fraudulent calls across the country.
In 2022, Raoul joined a group of 33 attorneys general in filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting anti-robocall provisions under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. In August 2019, he collaborated with all states' attorneys general and Washington D.C., partnering with phone companies to establish principles combating robocalls. Earlier that year, Raoul worked with the Federal Trade Commission on a crackdown involving 94 actions targeting operations responsible for over one billion calls.
The letter sent by Attorney General Raoul was co-signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, 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 Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming.