FCC Passes Rules To Help Block Scam Text Messages

In a 4-0 vote, the FCC has passed new rules forcing carriers to crack down on suspected scam text messages. 

The new rules will require US carriers to block text messages “that appear to come from phone numbers that are unlikely to transmit text messages,” the FCC said(Opens in a new window) on Thursday. 

“This includes invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers,” the Commission added. “It also includes numbers that the subscriber to the number has self-identified as never sending text messages, and numbers that government agencies and other well-known entities identify as not used for texting.”

FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said text messages that come from these phone numbers are “most likely to be illegal.” Hence, the new requirement should force carriers to filter out scam text messages without ensnaring legitimate ones. A separate rule will also require carriers to establish a point of contact, which text senders can use to report erroneously blocked messages.

In addition, the FCC is preparing to pass more rules(Opens in a new window) in an effort to stamp out the scam text problem. The Commission plans on seeking public input on a proposal forcing carriers “to block texts from entities the FCC has cited as illegal robotexters.” 

Another proposed rule would strengthen the national Do-Not-Call Registry protections to apply to text messages, rather than merely phone calls. The FCC also wants to close a “lead generator loophole,” which allows companies to use a single consumer consent “to deliver robocalls and text messages from multiple – perhaps thousands – of marketers on subjects that may not be what the consumer had in mind.”

“The Commission will also take further public comment on text authentication measures and other proposals to continue to fight illegal scam robotext,” the FCC added. 

The US regulator is trying to stop the problem, citing a surge in scam texts arriving through consumers’ phones.  “From 2015 to 2022, robotext complaints rose from around 3,300 to 18,900 per year,” the Commission said. “And robotexts pose a unique threat to consumers: unlike robocalls, scam text messages are hard to ignore or hang-up on and are nearly always read by the recipient – often immediately.”