In today's digital age, call security has become a pressing concern. With advances in technology, scammers can easily manipulate caller ID and make robocalls appear to come from legitimate sources. Unfortunately, these unsolicited calls can lead to harassment, identity theft, and financial fraud. This is why the United States government has put into place measures, such as the FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN regulations, to protect consumers against these robocalls.

Why Call Security Matters for Consumers.

Robocalls are a significant problem for consumers for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, robocalls are often meant to scam and deceive the consumer. Whether it be through false claims of winning a prize or threats of legal action, scammers use robocalls to gain access to personal information and extort money.

Secondly, robocalls can limit the privacy of consumers. Constant robocalls interrupt important moments and make it difficult to differentiate between important calls and spam calls. Additionally, personal information is sold and shared from one scammer to another, leaving consumers vulnerable to further scams and calls. Lastly, the sheer volume of robocalls can make it challenging to keep up with legitimate calls.

How is the Government Protecting Consumers?

To combat these challenges to call security, the United States government has taken measures to protect consumers. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has implemented several laws and regulations aimed at protecting consumers from robocalls, such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Truth in Caller ID Act.

However, one of the most significant regulations put in place recently is the FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN technology. They are a set of protocols that’s been recommended to be adopted by the industry to provide call authentication. STIR stands for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited, and SHAKEN stands for Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs.

The purpose of these protocols is to authenticate calls and enable phone service providers to verify if a call came from the number it appears to come from and identify any fraudulent numbers swiftly. With this technology in place, providers can work together to stop these spoofed calls. Moreover, it can help consumers to identify and ignore scam calls and avoid becoming a victim of fraud.

The implementation of the FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN technology comes in the wake of the TRACED Act, which was signed into law in December 2019. The TRACED Act is one of the fundamental pieces of legislation, mandating telecom providers to investigate and annul robocalls. It also increases fines for illegal robocalls to $10,000 per violation.

What to Know About the FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN Protocols.

The FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN technology uses digital "tokens" to verify the authenticity of a call and confirm that it actually comes from the caller ID on display. These tokens are cryptographic keys that are sent to a “token signing service”. This service verifies that the call has been validated by the originating carrier and welcomes the call to the receiver’s carrier. To put it simply, it ensures that the phone number displayed on the caller ID is legitimate and has not been spoofed. This helps the consumer to identify unsolicited robocalls and spam calls.

The Federal Communications Commission has set deadlines for telephone providers to integrate the STIR/SHAKEN technology into their networks. Large providers are required to implement the technology by June 30, 2021, with smaller providers given until June 30, 2023. Providers who fail to implement the technology may face consequences like fines or disconnection from other providers.

Want to Know More About STIR/SHAKEN?

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