{"id":127504,"date":"2026-05-19T13:29:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/new-trump-fcc-plan-to-fight-robocalls-raises-red-flags-and-major-privacy-concerns\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T13:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:30:08","slug":"new-trump-fcc-plan-to-fight-robocalls-raises-red-flags-and-major-privacy-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/05\/19\/new-trump-fcc-plan-to-fight-robocalls-raises-red-flags-and-major-privacy-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"New Trump FCC Plan To \u2018Fight Robocalls\u2019 Raises Red Flags And Major Privacy Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

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from the bad-ideas-from-terrible-people<\/i> dept<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve talked lots about how People have someway accepted the truth that our voice networks are actually saturated with scammers, fraudsters, and robocallers<\/a> (no, that\u2019s not one thing that occurs in nicely run, functionally regulated international locations). <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve additionally defined for years how the U.S. authorities options to the issues are normally ineffective as a result of they\u2019re endlessly making an attempt to create guidelines (or undermine present ones) to carve out exceptions for giant \u201cauthentic firms,\u201d<\/strong> which routinely engage in the same sleazy behavior as scammers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Regulatory seize and corruption signifies that you wind up with loads of performative options that sound good, however don\u2019t repair something. And a number of the progress we had<\/strong> made on robocalls is being undermined by the Trump administration\u2019s brutal assault on the federal regulatory state<\/a>, one thing that also, someway, isn\u2019t getting sufficient public and press consideration. <\/p>\n

Now the Trump administration is cooking up a brand new \u201crepair\u201d that when once more isn\u2019t more likely to repair the robocall drawback (as a result of our shopper safety regulators don\u2019t perform and the Trump administration doesn\u2019t really care in regards to the topic anyway), however is more likely to introduce all method of recent privateness and surveillance complications. If it\u2019s even applied. <\/p>\n

In late April, the Trump FCC announced<\/a> it was contemplating the event of recent \u201cKnow Your Buyer\u201d guidelines requiring that the customer of any new telephone current a authorities ID, a bodily deal with, a full authorized identify, and an present telephone quantity on the level of sale. This has raised eyebrows each amongst activists<\/a> and telecom industry lawyers<\/a>, albeit for understandably totally different causes. <\/p>\n

A Trump FCC press release<\/a> frames this new layer as an enormous repair for robocalls:<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe should convey significant robocall aid to customers. The FCC is attacking the issue of unlawful robocalls at each level within the name path with a purpose to assist customers and restore belief in America\u2019s voice networks. These proposals set the stage for important development towards these objectives by aiming to get suppliers to take accountability and step up their recreation in our shared battle in opposition to unlawful robocalls.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Telecom attorneys are nervous as a result of the principles suggest a $2,500 penalty, per name<\/strong>, per provider, in a rustic that sees round 4.2 billion robocalls per month<\/a>. So yeah, in a theoretical nation the place we really had functioning shopper protections this might be fairly a shift. <\/p>\n

However accountability requires shopper safety enforcement, and that is Brendan Carr. A man who typically doesn\u2019t imagine in holding main firms accountable for actually something<\/strong>. And who believes in defanging the federal regulatory state<\/a>. It\u2019s as soon as once more this attention-grabbing intersection between the Trump administration\u2019s claims, and their very unsubtle effort to lobotomize government<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Which is to say I\u2019m not even positive this proposal passes, a lot much less sees any enforcement. And if it does cross, and does get enforced, it possible received\u2019t really assist<\/strong> cease robocalls, as a result of that will require a authorities prepared to be robust on the most important telecom giants which have traditionally not finished sufficient to police fraud on their networks<\/em> (at factors as a result of they have been making the most of the fraud). <\/p>\n

So what’s Brendan Carr really pondering? Like all dutiful autocrats, he\u2019s eager about his administration\u2019s personal energy, and he\u2019s eager about surveillance.<\/p>\n

There are, after all, quite a few cases the place you may want authorized however covert possession of a cellular phone (a refugee in search of authorities punishment, a home abuse sufferer fleeing an abusive relationship, a journalist making an attempt to guard a supply id, an activist planning an illustration). Reclaim the Web is particularly concerned on the restrictions impacting the prepaid cell phone market<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe true privateness stakes sit within the proposal\u2019s part on pay as you go service. Proper now, you possibly can pay money for a pay as you go telephone and SIM card with out exhibiting identification. Journalists use pay as you go telephones to guard sources, home violence survivors use them to keep away from being traced, and whistleblowers, activists, or anybody with a purpose to separate telephone exercise from authorized id depends on this.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So yeah, if Brendan Carr, a censorial autocratic zealot with a historical past of disdain for company accountability and shopper safety, is out of the blue pitching you a fast and simple answer for a sophisticated consumer-facing challenge, you need to in all probability increase a skeptical eyebrow. Particularly when you\u2019re a journalist.<\/p>\n

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\tFiled Underneath: brendan carr<\/a>, fcc<\/a>, identification<\/a>, know your customer<\/a>, prepaid<\/a>, privacy<\/a>, robocalls<\/a>, scams<\/a>, surveillance<\/a>, wireless<\/a>
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