Attorney General John M. Formella announces that in a decisive step to combat illegal robocalls and nuisance telemarketing, he along with a bipartisan coalition of 46 of his fellow Attorneys General (AGs) have successfully urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to tighten rules aimed at blocking and mitigating robocalls. This week, the FCC took action to strengthen its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) and impose more rigorous requirements on voice service providers to protect consumers from these disruptive and often fraudulent calls.

“Illegal robocalls are a growing threat to New Hampshire families and businesses. By working with the FCC and colleagues nationwide, we are taking strong, bipartisan action to protect consumers and hold those responsible accountable,” said Attorney General Formella. “These steps are a major move toward stopping fraud and harassment, and we must remain vigilant in combating these deceptive practices.”

In response to a letter from the AGs, the FCC has announced three key initiatives in its continued fight against robocallers:

1. Robocall Mitigation Database Strengthened: The FCC Enforcement Bureau has taken action against 2,411 voice service providers that failed to comply with the RMD. The RMD is a critical database used to certify the status of providers’ STIR/SHAKEN implementation and their efforts to mitigate robocalls. Providers who fail to appear in the RMD will have their traffic blocked by other providers, a move that will prevent illegal robocalls from reaching consumers. This marks the largest enforcement action of its kind by the FCC.
2. New Rules to Drive Compliance: The FCC circulated a Report and Order proposing new rules to further tighten filing requirements for the RMD. This proposal includes significant fines for noncompliance, including base fines of $10,000 for submitting false information and $1,000 for failing to maintain current data. The new rules would also require providers to recertify annually and pay a $100 filing fee, further incentivizing compliance and increasing transparency.
3. Coordinated Action Against Illegal Providers: The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which includes 51 AGs, announced resolutions of several investigations into voice service providers transmitting illegal robocall traffic. As part of this coordinated effort, the Task Force has shared findings with the FCC, contributing to today’s enforcement action. This ongoing collaboration aims to ensure that bad actors are held accountable and that consumers are better protected.

The FCC’s actions build on its August decision to launch a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking aimed at making the RMD more accurate, effective, and secure. In addition, a recent Report and Order was issued to strengthen rules governing third-party use of the STIR/SHAKEN framework, a key technology that helps identify and block robocalls.

This latest series of actions is a significant step forward in the fight against illegal robocalls, demonstrating the power of bipartisan collaboration among Attorneys General and the FCC in protecting consumers and holding wrongdoers accountable.