Press Releases
03/08/2019
ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG URGES CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST ROBOCALLS
Attorney General William Tong this week joined a coalition of attorneys general representing 54 states and territories urging the U.S. Senate to enact the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, legislation to curb illegal robocalls and spoofing. The coalition of attorneys general, led by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald, and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, sent a letter to the U. S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation supporting the TRACED Act. The legislation is sponsored by Sens. John Thune and Ed Markey.
"Incessant robocalls are more than just intrusive and obnoxious, they have resulted in billions of dollars in harm to consumers and the economy. I strongly support all federal action to strengthen our ability as state attorneys general to protect consumers from these illegal calls, and to hold robocallers accountable," said Attorney General William Tong.
In their letter, the attorneys general state that the TRACED Act enables states, federal regulators, and telecom providers to take steps to combat these illegal calls. The legislation will require voice service providers to participate in a call authentication framework to help block unwanted calls and creates an interagency working group to take additional actions to reduce robocalls and hold telemarketers and robocallers accountable.
More than 48 billion robocalls were made in 2018, making them the number one source of consumer complaints to the FTC and the FCC and resulting in millions in consumer losses. The state attorneys general work to enforce do-not-call laws and protect consumers in their states from being harassed and scammed by robocalls.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
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