FCC targets robocallers and foreign call centers with proposed rules

The FCC unanimously approved two proposed regulations aimed at making it harder for robocallers to obtain legitimate U.S. phone numbers and restricting U.S. telecoms from outsourcing call center services overseas.

What happened

The three-member FCC commission unanimously passed two new proposed regulations. The first targets robocallers by increasing certification and disclosure requirements for obtaining phone numbers, expanding those requirements to all providers seeking numbers from the North American Numbering Plan Administrator and resellers.

The second proposed regulation places new restrictions on U.S. telephone providers that outsource call-center services to foreign countries. It explores options including giving consumers the ability to route their calls to U.S.-based centers, requiring calls involving sensitive information to be processed domestically, requiring providers to disclose overseas center usage during calls, and requiring operators to speak proficient English.

The backstory

Last month, the FCC finalized a separate regulation requiring telecoms to annually certify that their caller information is accurate and provide updated information to the agency's Robocall Mitigation Database.

According to the National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2025, the FTC received over 2.6 million Do Not Call complaints in fiscal year 2025 alone, with the Registry carrying over 258 million active registrations, a figure that shows how many Americans are actively trying to opt out of unwanted calls.

Going deeper

The first proposed rule targets common robocaller tactics, including:

• Number cycling: Where service providers cycle through large quantities of phone numbers on a rotating or even single-use basis to evade detection
• Resold numbers: The FCC's Office of Communications noted that a majority of its investigations into illegal robo calling have involved resold numbers
• Stricter identity disclosure: Telecoms would face tighter requirements to disclose the identities of callers on their networks, assisting organizations like the Industry Traceback Group in identifying robocallers

What was said

Commissioner Anna Gomez supported the numbering rule, stating, "Right now, bad actors are exploiting gaps in a phone number system that was designed for a simpler time."

Commissioner Olivia Trusty acknowledged the dual nature of technological change, noting that while it has brought consumer benefits, it has also "made it more difficult to identify who is using telephone numbers and for what purposes, complicating both robocall enforcement and numbering administration."

FCC Chair Brendan Carr framed the call center onshoring rule within the broader Trump administration push to bring services back to the U.S., and connected it directly to the robocalling problem, stating, "I think it also helps us crack down on some of the illegal robocallers. At the end of the day, I think American callers should expect and deserve to reach American call centers."

In the know

The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) is the body that manages and distributes phone numbers across the U.S., Canada, and other North American territories. The Industry Traceback Group is an industry organization that helps trace the origin of illegal robocalls as they move across the U.S.'s telephone networks.

Why it matters

FCC Chair Carr claimed that some of the criminal scammers targeting Americans today first entered the industry through outsourced call centers operating outside of U.S. or international law. This means the onshoring proposal isn't just about jobs or national security, it directly addresses a method through which bad actors gain access to American consumers.

The second proposed rule raises the question of routing calls involving "certain types of sensitive information" exclusively through U.S.-based centers. In a healthcare context, patient-facing calls involve protected health information (PHI). When those calls are handled by overseas centers operating outside of U.S. jurisdiction, they may fall outside the reach of HIPAA enforcement.

The bottom line

The FCC's two proposed rules are still in the comment phase and are not yet final. Telecoms, consumer advocates, and the public will have the opportunity to weigh in before any measures are enacted. Companies that rely on overseas call centers or resold phone numbers should monitor the rulemaking process.

FAQs

How should compliance teams be preparing for these proposed rules?

Organizations should audit current vendor contracts, map where call center operations are geographically located, and flag any handling of sensitive data.

What due diligence responsibilities do organizations have over their third-party telecom vendors?

Organizations bear responsibility for ensuring their vendors meet regulatory standards.

How might these rules affect outsourcing contracts already in place?

Existing agreements with foreign call center providers could become non-compliant once rules are finalized.