The Federal Communications Commission has announced that it will vote later this month on rules that would require all carrier and cable companies provide call blocking technology to customers. This comes after Congress passed the Traced Act, and President Trump signed it into law.
The law requires the FCC to come up with rules to require voice providers implement the Shaken/Stir protocol to authenticate calls. CNET details the backstory:
Later this month, the FCC will vote on rules that would give phone and cable companies until July 20, 2021 to comply with the law. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai explained that while many phone companies have adopted this technology on their own, it’s “clear” FCC action is needed.
Then, in December, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law the Traced Act, which makes Shaken/Stir compliance mandatory for all voice service providers. The law directs the FCC to come up with rules to require voice providers implement the technology within 18 months.
For instance, the four big carriers in the US — AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint — have all started the process of implementing Shaken/Stir on their own timelines. Granted, we’d like to see a requirement date sooner than June 2021.
The FCC’s argument focuses heavily using Shaken/Stir to “restore consumer trust in caller ID information and encourage consumers to answer the phone.” It also argues that the technology will help combat scams from robocallers, as well as improve public safety.
You can read the full announcement from the FCC here.
