Attorney General Mayes, along with a bipartisan group of 46 other Attorneys General, has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enhance its Robocall Mitigation Database. The call to action aims to address a loophole that has allowed unauthorized robocallers access to the U.S. telephone network.
“Illegal robocalls aren’t just annoying—they’re a gateway for fraud and scams that impact millions of Americans every day,” said Attorney General Mayes. She emphasized the need for accurate data and meaningful penalties in strengthening the FCC’s database as a measure against illegal robocalls and consumer fraud.
Despite efforts by attorneys general nationwide to curb illegal robocalls, scammers have continued to find new ways to exploit the system. Currently, providers must register on the FCC's database to operate as voice service providers in the United States. However, since its inception in 2021, this database has not effectively prevented bad actors from securing legitimate registrations and sending illegal robocalls through the network.
The coalition proposes that the FCC enhance its database by clarifying submission requirements for providers, establishing submission deadlines, validating submitted data to identify inaccuracies or misleading information, penalizing false submissions by revoking operating authorization, and blocking non-compliant providers. These measures aim to make it more difficult for unauthorized parties to infiltrate the U.S. telephone network and reduce illegal robocalls reaching consumers.
Attorney General Mayes is actively involved with the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force and remains committed to investigating and taking enforcement actions against entities responsible for significant volumes of illegal robocall traffic within the country.
The letter urging these changes was signed by Attorneys General from Alabama, Alaska, 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 Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming and Washington D.C.