It is rare to get all 50 state attorneys general to agree on anything, so the fact that they are all coming together to create a task force aimed at investigating and taking legal action against telecommunication companies responsible for robocalls should be all the context you need to understand just how fed up people are getting.
As part of its kickoff, the Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other companies that are allegedly responsible for the “majority of foreign robocall traffic,” according to an announcement. Gateway providers have a responsibility to ensure the calls they are funneling through the system are being made legally, but are not doing enough to stop robocall traffic, according to the task force.
The task force said it will focus on the “bad actors throughout the telecommunications industry” to help reduce the number of robocalls and help companies that are following the rules.
Interestingly enough, the announcement of the task force’s creation comes at a time when the volume of robocalls is declining, according to published reports, and the volume of robotexts is increasing. The number of scam robocalls has declined by 50% in the past year, according to a report from an advocacy group that was published last month. However, in announcing the task force’s creation, the attorneys general did note that there are more than 33 million scam robocalls made to Americans every day, according to the National Consumer Law Center and the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
“Robocalls aren’t just an Illinois problem. They are a nationwide problem. That is why I am proud to join my fellow attorneys general in launching this task force,” said Kwame Raoul, the Attorney General of Illinois, in a statement. “Robocalls cost consumers time and money, as well as violate their privacy. I will continue to protect the rights of Illinois consumers by fighting against this illegal practice.”
