Congress on Thursday approved a major anti-robocall law aimed at curbing unwanted interruptions—and thwarting the scammers behind them.
The TRACED (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence) Act, passed by the House and Senate, is on its way to the White House for a final signature.
Don’t hold your breath for immediate results: It will take at least 12 to 18 months for the legislation to kick in, at which point it should begin to lessen the overall number of spammy calls.
Nearly 54 billion robocalls were placed nationwide so far this year—up from 48 billion in 2018, 31 billion in 2017, and 29 billion in 2016, YouMail reported. That’s equal to roughly 164.4 calls per person affected.
And I thought my twice-monthly “Unknown Number” interruptions were annoying…
Following their passage in the Senate and House this summer, two separate anti-robocall proposals were reconciled as part of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement: the TRACED Act.
The bill requires that carriers adopt technology to help identify legitimate (or not) calls and let consumers opt in or out of blocking—at no extra charge.
It also allows the government to step up enforcement actions against unlawful robocalls, prosecute the criminals generating them, and hand out penalties of up to $10,000 per call.
“We’re working hard to help the American people get real relief from these relentless and illegal calls,” U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Greg Walden (R-OR), Mike Doyle (D-PA), and Bob Latta said in a joint statement.
But, as The Washington Post pointed out, these disruptions are more than a nuisance: They endanger hospitals, flood phone lines, and scare patients.
“That can’t be allowed to go on,” Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who helped author the legislation, told the newspaper.
In response, Congress included a clause in the TRACED Act that protects patients, doctors, and hospitals from unlawful robocalls.
More on Geek.com:
- New FCC Rules Target International Robocallers
- FTC, Law Enforcement ‘Call It Quits’ On Robocallers
- FCC Empowers Carriers to ‘Aggressively Block’ Robocalls
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