Key facts
- The FCC will develop a robocall mitigation scorecard to rate phone companies.
- The scorecard will assess how effectively providers block illegal spam calls.
- Metrics may include call-blocking statistics, customer complaints, and enforcement actions.
- Providers could be graded numerically, with letter grades, or by risk level (low, medium, high).
- The FCC is soliciting public comment on data sources for the scorecard.
- The initiative aims to provide consumers with information and incentivize better provider performance.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced its intention to create a robocall mitigation scorecard, designed to evaluate and rate phone companies based on their success in blocking illegal spam calls. This initiative aims to provide consumers with greater transparency regarding providers' efforts to combat unwanted calls.
The proposed scorecards could incorporate various metrics, including statistics on call-blocking effectiveness, data related to customer complaints, and records of enforcement actions. The FCC is considering grading providers using a numerical scale, letter grades, or by categorizing them into risk levels such as low, medium, or high risk.
According to the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, the scorecard will "empower consumers and encourage providers to continue to combat illegal robocalls." The commission intends to move beyond a simple administrative checklist to a composite set of metrics reflecting both operational practices and measurable outcomes, including the rate at which legitimate calls are erroneously blocked.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that combating illegal robocalls is the agency's top consumer protection priority and that the scorecard will incentivize providers to improve their efforts. The FCC is actively seeking public comment on the data sources that should be used for these scorecards, including whether data from providers themselves, third-party call analytics companies, or other governmental entities would be appropriate and unbiased.
Consumer advocacy groups, such as the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), have expressed cautious optimism, applauding the FCC's potential renewed focus on cracking down on scam calls. However, concerns remain about the specific information that will be used and its usefulness to consumers. Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for PIRG, emphasized the importance of transparency, suggesting that scorecards should be prominently displayed by providers and include details on traceback requests, warnings issued, and the deployment of STIR/SHAKEN technology.