On October 29, 2025, the FCC released a Ninth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Seventh Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Public Notice (“FNPRM” and “Public Notice,” respectively) proposing to strengthen protections against illegal robocalls and improve the accuracy and transparency of caller identification. The item was adopted at the October Open Meeting.
FNPRM
New Proposed Requirements
- Require terminating voice service providers to deliver verified caller identity information to consumer handsets whenever they (choose to) transmit to the handset an indication that a call received an A-level STIR/SHAKEN attestation, indicating the number is unlikely to be spoofed. At a minimum this information would include a verified name.
- Require originating providers to verify the accuracy of caller identity information and transmit it securely, potentially by requiring use of the Rich Call Data (“RCD”) standard. In this instance, the “originating provider” would be an originating voice service provider, provider of call branding solution, or anyone else who obtains the caller identify information that is transmitted from the originating end of a call.
- Define “caller identity information,” as having the same meaning as the term “caller identification information” in the FCC’s rules, but excluding the originating telephone number (or portion thereof) and billing number information.
- Require providers to identify calls that originate from outside of the United States and to transmit that information over the entire call path, and to transmit to consumer handsets an indicator that the call originated from outside of the United States whenever they know or have a reasonable basis to know that a call originated from outside of the United States.
- Specifically, the FCC proposes to require: (1) gateway providers to mark calls that originate from outside of the United States; (2) intermediate providers to transmit that information to downstream providers, and (3) the terminating voice service provider to transmit to consumers’ handsets an indicator that a call originated outside of the United States when they know or have reason to know that a call originated from outside of the United States, such as when a call has been marked as having originated outside of the United States by an gateway provider.
- Require reasonable call-blocking analytics to account for whether a call is international.
- Also seek comment on:
- Potential requirements to ensure that caller identity information is securely transmitted;
- Privacy protections for certain callers, including domestic violence shelters, individuals using *67, and users of telecommunications relay services (“TRS”);
- Whether to require all voice service providers to implement RCD in their IP networks for all calls;
- Applying verification requirements to non-U.S. calls;
- Prohibiting spoofing of U.S. numbers for foreign-originated calls;
- Better identifying the source of unlawful foreign-originated calls; and
- Mandating the form of identification of calls that originate outside the United States, e.g., designating a specific area code for foreign-originated calls.
Eliminating/Revising Outdated Rules
- Modernize and simplify Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) and Do-Not-Call rules by eliminating or revising outdated provisions that no longer protect consumers or reflect current calling technologies, by proposing to:
- Remove or update obsolete fax and autodialer requirements that predate modern digital communications;
- Streamline recordkeeping and reporting obligations that have become redundant due to new robocall mitigation databases and authentication frameworks; and
- Reassess legacy exemptions or definitions (such as for certain telemarketing or informational calls) to ensure consistency with current technologies and consumer expectations.
- Codify a process for dismissing obsolete petitions for reconsideration and applications for review related to the TCPA, reflecting a broader regulatory modernization and cleanup effort.
Public Notice
- Clear the backlog of pending TCPA-related petitions and applications for review that are moot or outdated; and
- Streamline FCC dockets to focus on current and relevant issues in robocall enforcement and consumer protection.
The following notable changes were made from the draft item:
- New ¶ 47 – The FCC added a new paragraph asking whether entities other than originating providers should share responsibility for ensuring caller ID accuracy, including whether terminating providers should take steps if they detect inaccurate caller information.
- New ¶ 49 – The FCC added a new paragraph seeking comment on whether stronger verification measures are needed beyond requiring originating providers to take reasonable steps to ensure caller ID accuracy. The new text references Numeracle’s ex parte, raises questions about the reliability of A-level attestations, and suggests exploring a “trusted framework” and reviewing know-your-customer requirements in a separate proceeding.
- ¶ 70 – The FCC added language seeking comment on whether to define “foreign-originated” calls for purposes of its proposal to identify and mark calls and, if so, how to define that term, citing ZipDX’s ex parte.
- Former ¶¶ 97-101 – The FCC removed the section proposing deletion of the company-specific DNC rules pursuant to Commissioner Gomez’s request. In the Open Meeting press conference, she noted that, left unchecked, the FCC would have eliminated robocall protections requiring companies to maintain their own Do Not Originate lists. The deleted text had sought comment on eliminating the requirement for callers to maintain their own DNC lists, given the protections of the National DNC Registry and other anti-robocall rules.
- ¶ 99 – The FCC revised its discussion to streamline and modernize its inquiry, asking whether changes since 2003 have made the call abandonment rules unnecessary, whether eliminating them would harm consumers, and whether differing FCC and FTC jurisdictions should affect the rules’ retention.
- ¶ 101 – The FCC amended its original proposal to delete the requirement to broadly apply opt-out requests, to instead seek comment on ways “to modify” this requirement in an effort to give consumers greater control over unwanted calls.
Comments on the NPRM’s proposals will be due 30 days after Federal Register publication, and reply comments will be due 60 days after publication. Responses to the Public Notice will be due 45 days after Federal Register publication.
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