Millions of Americans don’t answer calls from unknown numbers for fear they might be illegal robocalls. Many hoped that would change with a June 30 deadline from the FCC that required voice providers to implement technology to force callers to identify themselves.
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The US Federal Communications Commission upped its game in 2021 when it came to fighting illegal robocallers. But experts say the battle to end robocalls is far from over.
The FCC’s deadline to implement technology to beat back annoying robocalls went into effect over the summer. As of June 30, every major voice provider in the US, including phone companies AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile and cable provider Comcast, was required to implement a technology, called Stir/Shaken, designed to curb the tide of spam calls by requiring voice providers to verify where calls are coming from. And in December, the agency moved up the deadline for many smaller providers to comply with this technology.
But even though the crackdown has helped dampen the calls, scammers are back at work looking for ways to trick Americans into picking up the phone and handing over money.
“Stir/Shaken has shut down one avenue,” said Clayton LiaBraaten, senior advisory board member at Truecaller, which makes a spam-blocking and caller ID app. “But it’s making already very capable criminals even more sophisticated and sinister in their scams.”
To help you get a handle on what Stir/Shaken has meant…
