On April 20, 2021, the FCC announced the opening of its Robocall Mitigation Database. The database — along with accompanying filing instructions and deadline — has been established in accordance with the TRACED Act requiring voice service providers to implement STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication technology. Voice service providers that have not implemented STIR/SHAKEN by June 30, 2021, may be granted an extension if they implement a robocall mitigation program instead. A robocall mitigation program must prevent unlawful robocalls from originating on the voice service provider’s network.
For voice service providers seeking such an extension, YouMail robocall origination scanning and monitoring can serve as part of your robocall mitigation program.
What Is the Robocall Mitigation Program?
As we’ve covered before, the definition of a robocall mitigation program is intentionally non-prescriptive; there is no certification or list of official vendors. A robocall mitigation program should be sufficient if:
- It includes detailed practices that can reasonably be expected to significantly reduce the origination of illegal robocalls
- The voice service provider complies with the practices it describes
- The provider doesn’t knowingly or through negligence serve as the originator for unlawful robocall campaigns
How Long Is the Extension For?
If the above conditions are met, the robocall mitigation program, such as YouMail, will lead to one of the following extensions:
- A two-year extension to small, including small rural, voice service providers
- An indefinite extension for those that cannot obtain a certificate due to the Governance Authority’s token access policy until such provider is able to obtain a certificate
- A one-year extension to services scheduled for section 214 discontinuance
- An indefinite extension for parts of a voice service provider’s network that rely on technology that cannot initiate, maintain, and terminate SIP calls until a solution for such calls is reasonably available
Where Is the Database?
The Robocall Mitigation Database is publicly available at https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/rmd?id=rmd_listings.
A list of voice service providers that have submitted certifications is available at https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/rmd?id=rmd_welcome.
Filing Instructions
FCC instructions for voice service providers submitting a certification can be found at https://www.fcc.gov/files/rmd-instructions.
The main portal for all Robocall Mitigation Database information is located at https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/rmd?id=rmd_welcome.
Can I Certify for the Database Confidentially?
Yes you can. See page 9, section x., of the FCC filing instructions for details.
Some Background
Since 2014, the FCC has been working on robocall scam prevention measures by cutting off fraudsters’ most powerful tool: number spoofing. Number spoofing is how perpetrators disguise their devious efforts with fake caller IDs. The recipient is then duped into believing the incoming call is coming from a legitimate source. Oftentimes, the caller ID appears as a number from the same area code, even with the same prefix.
With their defenses lowered, victims believe these calls are coming from the job they applied to and desperately need, their local banking branch, or some other business that happens to be top of mind. Worse yet, spoofed numbers may align with the IRS, social services, or some other government agency. The bad actors count on exploiting their victims’ insecurities over any number of maladies that could be plaguing them. And when perpetrated at scale, they only need to find success in a small fraction of the numbers they attack. Number spoofing can be devastatingly effective.
YouMail Robocall Origination Scanning and Monitoring
YouMail has long been a major player in the robocall blocking business. We have protected more than 350 million phone numbers by extrapolating data from tens of millions of calls received each month by our users. Our unparalleled database of robocall data has stopped more than one billion robocalls to date. Millions of consumers and entrepreneurs trust us because our caller ID stops robocall scams in their tracks, even preventing future attacks. We are also regularly cited by the nation’s most trusted news desks — including Good Morning America, CNN, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and more — as an invaluable resource.
YouMail provides robocall blocking (and many other services) free to individuals and at scall for small businesses. We have even partnered with VoxOx, a 5G-enabled AI cloud communications company, to protect carriers from originating, carrying, or terminating bad traffic on their networks.
YouMail now also has a robocall mitigation solution for service providers. Look to YouMail for robocall origination scanning and monitoring for your voice service provider as the June 30 robocall mitigation program deadline looms.
