Iowa & Illinois attorneys general among those pressuring FCC to crack down on illegal robocalls

Iowa and Illinois fight the same fight to keep you from getting unwanted computer generated phone calls.

We will start with those annoying and frustrating interruptions to daily life we all know as robocalls. Attorneys general from all 50 states are trying to get the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to do more to stop those that are illegal. The states want the FCC to impose tougher rules under the ‘know your customer’ regulations for phone companies. They argue the existing rules aren’t strong enough and aren’t effective. Robocalls are popular tools among scammers.

Here are some changes they propose:

• One is to hold every originating telecommunications provider accountable to what’s called the ‘know your customer’ standards.
• Require every provider to track more information about their high-risk customers.
• Conduct more long-term monitoring of customers with a tendency to make illegal robocalls.
• Stronger financial penalties like a base of $2,500 for every violation.

Iowa and Illinois are part of this fight. I don’t think it matters if you’re a Democrat or a Republican; nobody likes this. Rules are one thing. Enforcement is another. How much can we trust the system to stop this activity that keeps happening? Host Jim Niedelman got into the issues with former Iowa Republican party chair Steve Grubbs and Scott County Democratic party chair Kay Pence.

“I am skeptical that anything the federal government does on this is going to make a big difference,” Grubbs said. “A lot of this problem comes from overseas, international scammers.”

“Follow the money,” Pence said. “They are making tons of money on this stuff. Especially if it comes from overseas, every telecommunication provider that the call goes through, once it’s answered, everybody on the chain gets a little bit of the money.”

To hear more, click on the video above.

Question of the Week

That brings us to our question of the week: What do you think the government can or should do to prevent annoying robocalls? Please share your thoughts at 4therecord@whbf.com. or respond to this post on Facebook here or here.

Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you.  It’s a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on what’s happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home.

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