Telcom And Tech Companies Joined Forces Against Illegal Robocalling

Apple and Google, together with 30 other telecoms and tech companies, joined the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create a strike force against "robocalling." Robocalling is an automated prerecorded phone calls by several companies to consumers. This method of marketing is deemed unlawful and violates several consumer and privacy rights based on Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991.

The planning for the crackdown operation started last Oct. 19 joined by several representatives from the tech companies.  They are planning to implement a nationwide caller ID verification standard to block calls from unverified phone numbers. There will be proposed sanctions to companies violating the TCPA.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler urged companies to join them in making a collective action against telemarketers and scammers. He described the act as "scourge" and "must be stopped" as reported by Reuters. Wheeler added in a report by Reuters, "The bad guys are beating the good guys with technology. Robocalls continue due in large part to industry inaction."

Joan Marsh, vice-president of federal regulatory issues at AT&T added "We have wrangling in this problem long enough to know there is no silver bullet. Nothing by itself is going to do it." According to The Verge, tech companies may also rip more benefits in joining and complying to FCC. Several TCPA class action lawsuits in the past about harassment cases involving robocalls posted large fines to companies. 

Other companies that joined the strike force include, Blackberry Ltd, British Telecommunications, Charter Communications Inc., Frontier Communications, LG Electronics Inc., Microsoft Corp, Nokia Corp, Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co Ltd., Sirius XM Holdings Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. and U.S. Cellular Corp as reported by Reuters