Attorney General Josh Kaul, along with a bipartisan group of 46 Attorneys General, has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enhance its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD). The aim is to close an unmonitored loophole that allows malicious actors to access the U.S. telephone network.
"People shouldn’t have to be annoyed by robocall after robocall," stated Attorney General Kaul. "We must strengthen protections against illegal robocalls."
Attorneys general have been actively working to reduce illegal robocalls affecting Americans. Despite these efforts, scammers continue to find ways to send illegal robocalls and robotexts. In the previous year, Wisconsin residents filed over 17,000 complaints with the Federal Trade Commission about unwanted robocalls made to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection also received 1,276 telemarketing complaints related to robocalls and other issues.
To operate as a voice service provider in the United States, companies must register on the FCC's database. However, since its inception in 2021, this database has not effectively prevented bad actors from registering and sending illegal robocalls through the U.S. network. Providers have submitted non-vetted information without facing consequences for inaccuracies or incomplete submissions.
The coalition is advocating for changes that would require providers to understand submission requirements and adhere to deadlines. They propose validating submitted data to identify inaccuracies and penalizing providers for false information by blocking their authorization to operate. These measures aim to prevent unauthorized access to the U.S. telephone network and reduce illegal robocalls reaching consumers.
Attorney General Kaul is part of the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force and is dedicated to investigating entities responsible for significant volumes of fraudulent robocall traffic across the country.
Joining Attorney General Kaul in this initiative are 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 Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Virginia West Virginia Wyoming and the District of Columbia.