Robocall Trace Back Enhancement Act introduced

New legislation would amend the TRACED Act to improve robocall traceback. Here’s how it would do that.

Legal protection

The Robocall Trace Back Enhancement Act would protect the Registered Traceback Consortium from legal liability for receiving, sharing, or publishing covered information about suspected illegal robocalls. It would also shield any voice service provider or other person for sharing covered information with the registered consortium.

Covered information includes:

• Call detail records
• The name and identifying information of a voice service provider that originated, carried, or routed a suspected unlawful call
• Information about the person who made a suspected unlawful robocall.

Publication of list and enforcement

The legislation allows either the FCC or registered consortium in consultation with the Commission to publish a list of voice service providers that either:

• Refuse to cooperate with traceback
• Originate, carry, or route substantial amounts of unlawful robocalls.

The FCC may take enforcement action based upon this information.

Impact

If passed, this legislation would provide legal cover for cooperating with traceback. Would that have much impact?

Many providers already cooperate with traceback. Still, explicit legal cover might improve things a bit.

The biggest impact from this legislation might be the publicity from either refusing to cooperate with traceback or carrying illegal robocalls.

A wall of shame.

Such information is available now, in a limited way, tucked away at the back of FCC and cease-and-desist letters and robocall traceback consortium reports. Presumably the legislation would encourage the Commission and consortium to make this information available more widely.

That kind of publicity could make a difference.

Sponsors of this legislation include:

• Robert Latta (R-OH-5)
• Michael Doyle (D-PA-18)
• John Curtis (R-UT-3)
• Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-1)

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