FCC Targets Fraudulent Robocalls With New Call Blocking Rules

January 8, 2018

The FCC has issued a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Order) adopting new rules to allow voice service providers to proactively block calls from certain numbers that are suspected to be fraudulent. The November 16 Order seeks to prevent fraud or identity theft that often accompanies calls which “spoof” or manipulate Caller ID information. The new rules expressly authorize voice service providers to block robocalls that appear to be from telephone numbers that do not or cannot make outgoing calls, without running afoul of the FCC’s call completion rules.