CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey recently joined AGs from across the United States in asking the Federal Communications Commission to implement proposed rules aimed at fighting illegal robocalls.
The rules would facilitate continued collaboration among state attorneys general and telecom companies in tracing back illegal robocalls to their source, consistent with the TRACED Act, supported by Morrisey and many partnering states.
“State Attorneys General have long been leaders in the fight against illegal robocallers and their assault on the American people’s privacy,” Morrisey joined in writing. “As a result of the rise of caller ID spoofing, there is limited visibility of the entities and individuals that perpetrate these harassing and unlawful calls. State Attorneys General have prioritized tracking down these bad actors and bringing their illegal activity to light.”
Morrisey
The bipartisan coalition says traceback investigations are seen as necessary for law enforcement to more efficiently identify and investigate illegal robocallers and expose voice service providers that assist and facilitate illegal robocallers.
Last year, Morrisey and many other AGs asked Congress to pass the TRACED Act. The legislation, which was signed in December, allows states, federal regulators and telecom providers to take steps to combat the unlawful calls.
In West Virginia, Morrisey began discussions last year with several phone companies to gain their commitment to expedite the deployment of scam blocking technology in the state.
Soon thereafter, Morrisey joined AGs from every state in reaching a public-private agreement that resulted in 12 phone companies adopting eight principles to fight illegal robocalls. Morrisey says that pact will protect consumers and make it easier for AGs and law enforcement to investigate and prosecute bad actors.
The AGs from Arkansas and North Carolina led the latest comments with the AGs of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico also signing.