A day after President Trump signed a bill giving federal agencies more muscle to protect consumers from the daily barrage of robocalls, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed state legislation that would require phone carriers to block the annoying scourge.
The bill signed by Trump late Monday strengthens the enforcement power of the Federal Communications Commission to fine robocallers and to block “spoofed” numbers — bogus caller IDs that appear to be coming from the phone user’s area code or from a business — without charging consumers.
Cuomo’s legislation would require telecommunications companies to use technology to block robocalls or else face financial penalties.
“New Yorkers pay good money for their phone service but are still being hounded by millions of robocalls every day,” the Governor’s Office said in a statement announcing the legislation.
“With this measure, we’re saying to telecom companies: Get off the sidelines and stop transmitting these harassing calls to your customers or we will hold you accountable.”
The federal legislation — known as the TRACED Act — authorizes the FCC to step up enforcement against scammers and allows for fines of up to $10,000 per illegal call without prior warning.
It also encourages the Justice Department to pursue prosecutions against criminal robocallers and extends the statute of limitations to go after them from one year to four.
“American families deserve control over their communications, and this legislation will update our laws and regulations to stiffen penalties, increase transparency and enhance government collaboration to stop unwanted solicitation,” White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
Consumer Reports’ Maureen Mahoney said the law, passed overwhelmingly by the House and Senate, is a “big victory.”
“The key is requiring these phone companies to help stop the calls before they reach the consumer and do it at no additional charge,” she said.
With Wires