Fighting the Scourge of Illegal Robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a joint policy forum (Forum) highlighting the actions the agencies and others have taken to fight the scourge of illegal robocalls.  The Forum discussed past, current, and potential future regulatory action to protect consumers and empower telephone service providers to block illegal robocalls.  It included an in-depth discussion of recent policy changes and enforcement actions to stop illegal robocalls along with an overview of technological solutions consumers can employ to combat illegal robocalls. The Forum featured speakers from the technology, consumer advocacy, and regulatory communities, among others.

Agenda:

                        Opening Remarks by Ajit Pai, Chairman, FCC

                        Video Remarks by Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Acting Chairman, FTC

                        Remarks by Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner, FCC

9:45 am          Panel 1:  Challenges Facing Consumers and Industry Today

Moderator:

Micah Caldwell, Special Counsel, Office of the Bureau Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, FCC

Panelists:

• Eduard Bartholme, Executive Director, Call for Action, and Chair, FCC Consumer Advisory Committee
• Kevin Rupy, Vice President of Law and Policy, USTelecom
• Michele Shuster, General Counsel, Professional Association for Customer Engagement

Discussion topics:  the factors driving the volume of illegal robocalls; new threats to consumers, such as Caller ID spoofing; and protections for legitimate callers.

10:15 am          Remarks by Brendan Carr, Commissioner, FCC

10:25 am          Panel 2:  Recent Regulatory and Enforcement Efforts

Moderator:

Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC

Panelists:

• Denise Beamer, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, Florida Office of the Attorney General
• Lois Greisman, Associate Director, Division of Marketing Practices, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC
• Sherwin Siy, Special Counsel, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC
• Mark Stone, Deputy Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, FCC
• Kristi Thompson, Chief, Telecommunications Consumer Division, Enforcement Bureau, FCC

Discussion topics:  overview of the relevant law; recent FCC, FTC, and state actions to protect consumers; and enforcement challenges.

11:25 am          Remarks by Terrell McSweeny, Commissioner, FTC

11:30 am          Panel 3:  Solutions and Tools for Consumers

Moderator:

Julius Knapp, Chief Engineer, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC

Panelists:

• Alex Algard, Founder & CEO, Hiya
• Jim McEachern, Senior Technology Consultant, Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions
• Alex Quilici, Chief Executive Officer, YouMail
• Margot Saunders, Senior Counsel, National Consumer Law Center
• Krista Witanowski, Assistant Vice President, CTIA
• Nat Wood, Associate Director, Division of Consumer & Business Education, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC

Discussion topics:  third-party solutions and other resources available to empower consumers; and industry efforts to develop Caller ID authentication.

12:30 pm         Closing Remarks by Svetlana Gans, Chief of Staff to Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen, FTC

For questions or additional information about the Joint Policy Forum, contact Keyla Hernandez-Ulloa of the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0965 or Keyla.Hernandez-Ulloa@fcc.gov.