New TRACED Act Targets Robocallers With Heavier Fines and Strict Rules
The bipartisan TRACED Act is now law, giving regulators stronger tools to fight the billions of annoying and malicious robocalls Americans receive each year. The legislation mandates anti-spoofing technology, increases fines, and extends the FCC's ability to pursue scammers.
The president signs the bipartisan Pallone-Thune TRACED Act into law, giving federal regulators powerful new tools to combat the relentless scourge of illegal robocalls. Scammers use clever targeting and spoofing technology to place billions of annoying and often dangerous calls that take advantage of vulnerable people, and this legislation directly addresses those high-tech threats.
The new law extends the statute of limitations for the FCC to pursue robocall offenders and significantly increases potential fines. It also mandates the adoption of the STIR/SHAKEN framework to prevent caller ID spoofing, explicitly prevents carriers from charging consumers for this protection, and shields providers from liability for reasonable mistakes.
Lawmakers and regulators from both sides of the aisle praise the enactment as a major victory for consumers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer highlights the relief this brings to Americans battered by billions of spam calls, while FCC Chairman Ajit Pai celebrates the removal of the previous requirement to warn scammers before imposing tough penalties.