Congress, FTC Take Action Against Robocallers

A House subcommittee voted unanimously to advance a wide-ranging bill intended to crack down on robocalls. The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act (H.R. 3375) would enroll customers in free call-blocking programs and take more aggressive rulemaking steps to ensure people only get calls they ask to receive. The FTC also announced a partnership with state enforcers–"Operation Call it Quits"—to crack down on illegal robocalls. The initiative includes 94 actions targeting robocallers responsible for more than one billion calls. EPIC has worked to ensure that telephone users are protected from invasive business practices through agency comments and amicus briefs in cases such as ACA International and Gallion v. Charter Communications.