Cellphone Companies Must Block Obvious Scam Texts, FCC Says

The rules are the first regulations from the FCC specifically targeting spam texts, which have become an increasingly pervasive threat to Americans, the agency says. 

According to the FCC, robotext complaints have surged from around 3,300 in 2015 to 18,900 received last year. The FCC said it still gets more complaints about unwanted phone calls than text messages, but the rapid growth of unwanted texts has emerged as a growing concern. 

“These robotexts are making a mess of our phones,” FCC Chairwoman

Jessica Rosenworcel

said. “They are reducing trust in a powerful way to communicate.”

The rules will also require phone companies to establish a point of contact for texters who believe their text was erroneously blocked.

Ms. Rosenworcel said the new rules will stop the texts that are most likely to be illegal. “But we are not stopping here,” she said. 

The FCC said it would solicit public comment to explore other ways it can fight unwanted texts, including through authentication measures and expanding the list of illegal texters to include numbers tied to entities that the FCC has cited as illegal robotexters. 

The agency is also proposing to close the so-called lead generator loophole. That loophole allows multiple marketers to take advantage of a single consent from a consumer to receive text messages and robocalls, the FCC said.

Cellphone carrier

Verizon Communications Inc.

declined to comment and

T-Mobile

US Inc. representatives didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

AT&T Inc.

referred The Wall Street Journal to the CTIA, a trade association.

“CTIA welcomes continued opportunities to partner with the FCC on our shared commitment to protect consumers and bring enforcement actions against bad actors,” the group said. 

Last year, the CTIA said in public comments to the FCC that the wireless industry was already working to block unwanted text messages. 

Online scams have grown rapidly in recent years and accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic as Americans relied more on their computers and phones. Earlier this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Americans lost more than $10 billion to online scammers last year.

Separately, the FCC on Thursday also adopted new rules that expand on its continuing crackdown on robocalls.

Write to Will Feuer at [email protected]

The rules are the first regulations from the FCC specifically targeting spam texts, which have become an increasingly pervasive threat to Americans, the agency says. 

According to the FCC, robotext complaints have surged from around 3,300 in 2015 to 18,900 received last year. The FCC said it still gets more complaints about unwanted phone calls than text messages, but the rapid growth of unwanted texts has emerged as a growing concern. 

“These robotexts are making a mess of our phones,” FCC Chairwoman

Jessica Rosenworcel

said. “They are reducing trust in a powerful way to communicate.”

The rules will also require phone companies to establish a point of contact for texters who believe their text was erroneously blocked.

Ms. Rosenworcel said the new rules will stop the texts that are most likely to be illegal. “But we are not stopping here,” she said. 

The FCC said it would solicit public comment to explore other ways it can fight unwanted texts, including through authentication measures and expanding the list of illegal texters to include numbers tied to entities that the FCC has cited as illegal robotexters. 

The agency is also proposing to close the so-called lead generator loophole. That loophole allows multiple marketers to take advantage of a single consent from a consumer to receive text messages and robocalls, the FCC said.

Cellphone carrier

Verizon Communications Inc.

declined to comment and

T-Mobile

US Inc. representatives didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

AT&T Inc.

referred The Wall Street Journal to the CTIA, a trade association.

“CTIA welcomes continued opportunities to partner with the FCC on our shared commitment to protect consumers and bring enforcement actions against bad actors,” the group said. 

Last year, the CTIA said in public comments to the FCC that the wireless industry was already working to block unwanted text messages. 

Online scams have grown rapidly in recent years and accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic as Americans relied more on their computers and phones. Earlier this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Americans lost more than $10 billion to online scammers last year.

Separately, the FCC on Thursday also adopted new rules that expand on its continuing crackdown on robocalls.

Write to Will Feuer at [email protected]