The House Pushes Us Closer To A Robocall Reckoning

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The battle against robocalls is making progress. House lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill involving robocalls.

Lawmakers voted 429 to 3 to increase protections against unsolicited and annoying phone calls. The stopping bad robocalls act builds upon the TRACED act passed by the Senate back in May. 

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Now, both the house and senate must agree on one to send to the white house for President Trump's signature.

The bill gives the FCC 18 months to make these protection guidelines standard. All phone companies will have to provide free robocall blocking. 

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All of them would have to use authentication technology. All telecommunication companies will also have to implement SHAKEN/STIR Technology. That creates digital fingerprints that can show if the caller ID is the same one the call is coming from. 

The bill also calls for a database of disconnected and reassigned numbers. Companies will have to check to make sure their numbers weren't being used elsewhere. 

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