August 9, 2021
Urges the FCC to Accelerate Deadline for
STIR/SHAKEN Adoption
Carson City, NV – Today, Attorney General
Aaron D. Ford urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fight back
against the scourge of illegal robocalls by moving up the deadline for smaller
telephone companies to implement caller ID technology.
“Robocall scammers are more than an annoyance. They
are dangerous and illegal and have oftentimes preyed on the goodwill of
Nevadans by presenting themselves as legitimate charitable organizations,” said
AG Ford. “My office is committed to
protecting Nevadans by shutting down these types of scammers for good.”
Under the TRACED Act, which became law in 2019,
phone companies are required to implement STIR/SHAKEN technology on their
networks. This caller ID authentication technology helps ensure that telephone
calls are originating from verified numbers, not spoofed sources. Large companies
were required to implement the technology by June 2021, and smaller phone
companies were given an extension until June 2023.
However, some of the same smaller phone
companies that are benefitting from this extension are also responsible for
originating or facilitating high volumes of illegal robocalls that spam
Americans and lead to financial or personal data loss. And without the
STIR/SHAKEN technology in place, these smaller companies are failing to take a
necessary step to minimize the continued onslaught of illegally spoofed
robocalls that harm residents.
The coalition of attorneys general are asking
the FCC to require these companies to implement the STIR/SHAKEN technology as
soon as possible and no later than June 30, 2022.
In addition to Nevada, other states who joined
the comment include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,
Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington,
West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
A copy of the comments is attached.
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