FCC threatens to block spammy VOIP services

I have people calling me illegally every week about small business loans or car insurance, and even though I’m calling a local number, I’m pretty sure they’re not from around here.

These spammers often use Voice over IP (VOIP) to spoof phone numbers, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is as tired of it as the rest of us. It threatens to shut down thousands of VOIP services.

in a Press release issued yesterdaythe FCC said that 2,411 of these providers “failed to properly file in the robocall mitigation repository and must now show why they should not be removed.” In other words, these VOIP companies are spammers using their services to distribute illegal calls ’s lightning rod, and they ignore federally mandated actions to stop spammers from stalking and defrauding Americans.

The FCC’s authority over traditional phone calls is essentially absolute, and the action was taken in partnership with state attorneys general and Washington, D.C. If you are a company that provides calling services, whether over a standard network or Voice over IP, you must comply with Stirring/shaking protocol For Caller ID verification, you must send an automated call mitigation plan to the FCC. The FCC alleges that the companies failed on both counts and repeatedly missed compliance inspection deadlines.

The release also outlines new proposed rules that, among other administrative actions, would impose stricter fines for false or outdated information in call provider databases. Given the typical timeline for implementation of new rules, it seems unlikely that they will be in place before the second Trump administration makes business-friendly changes to federal agencies.

Even if the FCC had 10 times the capacity it currently has, it wouldn’t be able to completely stop spam calls, especially since most spam calls originate from other countries where it has limited jurisdiction. But making it harder for spammers to use U.S.-based services is an effective deterrent because it makes an otherwise simple robocall campaign much more difficult.

At the very least, shutting down domestic businesses that profit from the most despicable of practices—harassing and defrauding fellow Americans—seems like the right thing to do.

Further reading: FCC targets broadband data caps