The FCC is pretty much fed up with all robocalls, not just telemarketers

New Year, new rules, at least where companies that use robocall systems are concerned. The FCC has expanded its guidelines for using robocalls and made it so phone companies have to do more to keep those calls off their networks.

Those new rules mean that not only telemarketers are bound by the restrictions on robocalling. Previously, non-commercial, commercial, and tax-exempt nonprofits didn’t have to worry about restrictions on how many robocalls they sent. Now they’re under the same rules as telemarketers, which should reduce the number of spam robocalls everyone receives.

Americans are sick and tired of unwanted and illegal robocalls, and today’s separate actions are like a one-two punch to ward them off. Today, we are putting much needed limitations on robocalls to our homes, and taking additional steps regarding call blocking that will yield significant improvements for consumers. – FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

Under the new guidelines, companies can only make up to three robocalls per 30 days to any residential number, and they have to give the recipient of the calls the option to opt-out of any future calls.

New rules for phone companies mean that they have to respond to traceback requests from the FCC or from law enforcement. Phone carriers also have to investigate calls deemed illegal by the FCC and take action against those calls if their investigations come to the same conclusion. Carriers now have a wider remit to do network-level call blocking, without fears of legal liability for those blocks, with a system of checks to ensure any blocks of that level are illegal.

It’s not all one-way, as the FCC also requires phone companies to immediately notify callers when their calls are being blocked. That might lead to robocall users to find ways around the blocks, but the overall effect will be more transparency in the process, and less spam calls on our phone lines.