Two of the authors of the TRACED Act have introduced another bill in the Senate that seeks to further protect consumers from receiving illegal robocalls while also holding those making the calls accountable for their actions.
A copy of the draft version of the Robocall Trace Back Enhancement Act, introduced by Sen. John Thune [R-S.D.] and Sen. Edward Markey [D-Mass.], can be accessed by clicking here.
The objective of the bill is to provide immunity for receiving, sharing, and publishing trace back information for fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful robocalls, illegally spoofed calls, or other illegal calls as well as providing immunity for any voice service provider that shares covered information with a consortium that was established under the TRACED Act.
“The Robocall Trace Back Enhancement Act is a natural extension of the TRACED Act,” said Sen. Markey in a statement. “This legislation makes it easier to root out bad actors who illegally robocall countless phone numbers by promoting public accountability among, and aggressive action against, those responsible for illegal, fraudulent, and abusive robocalls. I am proud to partner with Senator Thune as we make it clear that there are no blue robocalls or red robocalls – there are only despised robocalls.”
The bill would also allow the consortium or the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of voice service providers that “refuse to participate in private-led efforts to trace back the origin of suspected unlawful robocalls.”
The TRACED Act required the FCC to designate an entity from the private sector that would seek to trace back the origins of suspected illegal robocalls. The FCC chose USTelecom – The Broadband Association’s Industry Traceback Group as that consortium.
