The Federal Communications Commission will take up a proposal later this month aimed at giving consumers, and by extension, legitimate callers, more transparency about who’s calling them and where calls originate. The proposal, titled Improving Verification and Presentation of Caller Identification Information, will be considered at the agency’s October 28 meeting as part of its continuing efforts to combat illegal robocalls.
Why it matters: Enhanced caller ID rules may affect how agencies authenticate and display their numbers, especially when working with third-party dialers or international call centers. It may also require additional verification of caller information before calls are placed.
The background: Under the existing STIR/SHAKEN framework, phone carriers can confirm whether a call’s number has been spoofed, but not who is actually calling. The FCC’s proposed rulemaking would expand that framework by requiring that verified caller name and identity information accompany authenticated calls.
The agency also aims to tackle one of the largest sources of illegal calls: those originating from outside the United States. Gateway providers, which serve as the entry point for foreign calls, would be required to flag those calls as international. Intermediate and terminating providers would also need to pass that information along unaltered to the end recipient’s device.
The proposal: The draft notice outlines several key measures:
- Define “caller identity information.” The FCC would create a uniform definition encompassing caller name and other identifying data.
- Require verification. Originating providers would have to confirm the accuracy of caller identity information, ensuring consumers see trustworthy data.
- Mandate transmission. Terminating providers would need to deliver verified caller name information to handsets when a call receives the highest (“A-level”) STIR/SHAKEN authentication.
- Flag international calls. Providers would have to indicate when calls originate from outside the U.S.
- Prohibit spoofing U.S. numbers for calls originating overseas.
- Include origin data in blocking analytics, allowing carriers’ robocall mitigation tools to use that information when determining which calls to block or label.
The FCC also signaled an intent to “simplify, streamline, or eliminate certain outdated robocall rules” and dismiss long-pending petitions under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to clean up regulatory backlogs.
The big picture: This initiative marks another step in the Commission’s campaign to restore trust in phone communications. For businesses that depend on outbound calls, it could mean tighter expectations for data accuracy, identity verification, and compliance documentation, but also a chance to improve answer rates as consumers gain more confidence in verified callers.
If adopted, the FCC will open the proposal for public comment before finalizing any rule changes.
