FCC Might Require Carriers To Authenticate Incoming Calls

Phone software these days are getting better at identifying calls when they come in. However, the problem with spoofing is that sometimes it can be made to seem like an incoming call is made by someone else. Thankfully, it appears that the FCC wants to do something about it and have recently proposed rules that will require carriers to authenticate calls.

According to the FCC’s proposal, “STIR/SHAKEN enables phone companies to verify the accuracy of caller ID information that is transmitted with a call. Industry-wide implementation would reduce the effectiveness of illegal spoofing, allow law enforcement to identify bad actors more easily, and help phone companies identify calls with illegally spoofed caller ID information before those calls reach their subscribers.”

In recent times, the FCC has implemented rules that will let carriers block robocalls by default. Previously, robocall blocking was a feature that customers had to pay to enable, but the recent changes have resulted in carriers enabling the feature for free for its customers.

According to FCC chairman Ajit Pai, “Last year, I demanded that major phone companies voluntarily deploy STIR/SHAKEN, and a number of them did. But it’s clear that FCC action is needed to spur across-the-board deployment of this important technology. There is no silver bullet when it comes to eradicating robocalls, but this is a critical shot at the target.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: FCC