26 Billion Robocalls were placed in the United States last year. Congress recently passed the Traced Act. The legislation extends the time frame in which the Federal Communications Commission can catch companies or individuals that intentionally break telemarketing restrictions from one year, to three.
This week Senator Steve Daines asked the FCC Chairman when he can expect the FCC to implement its additional power.
Daines: “When do you think we can do that?
Pai: “Soon Hopefully. I defer to you on the Traced Act.”
Daines: “We’ve passed the legislation. You’ve seen the text. How long will it take us? How long will it take you all to implement that and get that done?”
Pai: “Certain tools we can implement immediately. Certainly it will make it easier for us to go after these robocallers in terms of extending the statute of limitations. That’s not something that requires full notice and comment making. I think we can move very quickly.”
The Traced Act is also designed to help identify robocalls before your phone starts ringing. It gives regulators the ability to block them at the source.