If you're fed up with endless robocalls about your car's extended warranty or fake IRS threats, here's good news. The FCC just launched its biggest crackdown ever on the companies that let these annoying calls reach your phone.
Over 2,400 phone companies have been put on notice – either stop letting scam calls through their networks, or get cut off from the U.S. phone system. "Providers must be active partners in the fight against unwanted and illegal robocalls," said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. "If they are not, they should not be allowed to participate in our phone networks. Full stop." (Isn't it nice to have someone at the FCC who cares about people, instead of lamesters like Ajit Pai who did bidding of predatory grifters when he was chairman?)
We already know this approach works. When the FCC took similar action last year against auto warranty scammers, those irritating calls dropped by 99%. Student loan scam calls also plunged by 88% after enforcement.
What's different this time is the scale. Not only is the FCC flexing its regulatory muscle, but they've got 51 state attorneys general backing them up. They're also proposing hefty fines – up to $10,000 for companies that try to game the system. "Compliance isn't optional – it's mandatory," warned Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Previously:
• Ajit Pai has been touting new broadband investment after he murdered Net Neutrality, but he's been relying on impossible data from a company called Barrierfree
• Ajit Pai: California net neutrality law is 'illegal'
• Arrogant overreach: Ajit Pai's plan to totally destroy net neutrality may doom him in court
• Ajit Pai killed Net Neutrality and Trump gave away a huge tax break; Verizon got billions and killed 10,000 jobs
• Every word Ajit Pai says about Net Neutrality is a lie, including 'and' and 'the'
• Even the telco industry thinks Ajit Pai is an asshole for maiming Lifeline, a broadband subsidy for poor Americans
• Ajit Pai: portrait of a Vichy nerd who transformed from debating-society darling to thin-skinned, brooding manbaby
• FCC refuses public records request about Ajit Pai's monumentally unfunny 'comedy' videos
