Steve Marshall joins bipartisan, multistate fight against illegal robocalls

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Steve Marshall

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined 39 state attorneys general this week in a bipartisan effort calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and telecom companies to implement new technologies and policies that would to stop or reduce annoying and harmful robocalls.

“Robocalls are not simply annoying but have become a persistent harassment that is disrupting the lives of our citizens and can be a means for scammers to steal their hard-earned money and savings,” said Marshall. “We are committed to working together to find a constructive way to combat this growing problem. Robocalls, as well as spoofing which is often done to make it appear the calls are coming from someone known and reputable, will require technological solutions. We support the efforts of telecom companies to address this and urge them to reach and implement solutions as soon as possible.”

The multistate group has had in-depth meetings with several major telecom companies. Attorney General Marshall and his colleagues are working to:

  • Develop a detailed understanding of what is technologically feasible to minimize unwanted robocalls and illegal telemarking,
  • Press the major telecom companies to expedite the best possible solutions for consumers, and
  • Determine whether states should make further recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission.

In addition to Alabama, those participating in the group include the attorneys general of: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.