The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously this week to adopt the “Improving Verification and Presentation of Caller Identification Information Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” a sweeping proposal aimed at giving consumers more verified information about who’s calling and cutting down on illegal and spoofed robocalls.
Why it matters: The FNPRM, part of the FCC’s ongoing effort to modernize the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and strengthen the STIR/SHAKEN caller authentication framework, could reshape how banks, credit unions, collection agencies, and other businesses communicate with consumers. It also introduces a framework for “branded calling” which displays verified caller names, logos, and even reasons for a call on consumers’ screens.
The background: For years, the STIR/SHAKEN framework has helped carriers confirm that a call’s number hasn’t been spoofed, but it hasn’t told consumers who was actually calling.
- Under the new proposal, the FCC would require voice providers to transmit verified caller name information when they authenticate a call as legitimate, mandate that carriers mark and disclose calls originating from outside the U.S. and block use of U.S. area codes for overseas-originated traffic, and seek comment on banning spoofing of U.S. numbers for foreign calls.
- The proposal would also begin cleaning up outdated TCPA rules and petitions, modernizing decades-old requirements. Chairman Brendan Carr framed the effort as a shift from “whack-a-mole” enforcement to prevention. Commissioner Anna Gomez noted that robocalls remain the number one consumer complaint to the agency.
Industry reactions: The FCC’s move follows intense advocacy from financial trade groups seeking clearer TCPA rules and safer communication channels.
- The American Bankers Association praised the reforms, saying they “modernize outdated calling rules” and strengthen protections against spoofed bank names on caller ID.
- America’s Credit Unions called the proposal “a balanced step” that will help credit unions communicate vital account information without unnecessary litigation risk.
- The Defense Credit Union Council emphasized that the reforms recognize “a fundamental truth — institutions must be able to reach members about fraud or security alerts quickly and transparently.”
- Consumer advocates, including the National Consumer Law Center, expressed relief that the FCC backed off earlier drafts that would have weakened consumers’ right to tell robocallers to stop calling.
What’s next: The rulemaking opens a 30-day public comment period after publication in the Federal Register
