FCC Seeks Comment on Stronger Identity Checks for Phone Providers

The proposal aims to stop illegal robocalls before they reach consumers. Under the plan, providers may need to collect a full legal name, physical address, government ID, and an existing phone number from customers. Higher-volume users could face additional review of their planned service use and other details.

The FCC has not issued final rules. It continues to gather feedback that includes privacy concerns raised by civil liberties advocates.

Prepaid and temporary phone users could face new verification steps. People without a fixed address, those leaving abusive situations, or individuals seeking privacy may encounter added questions during sign-up or renewal. The proposal lists possible risk indicators such as use of virtual offices, certain commercial addresses, cryptocurrency payments, or addresses not traceable to the listed state.

Violations could carry a $2,500 per-call base forfeiture. Providers may respond by applying stricter checks to avoid penalties. The FCC stated that carriers are best positioned to block scam operations at the network gateway. Consumer groups reported Americans received an average of 2.14 billion robocalls per month in 2024.

For now, no immediate changes apply to existing service. Any final rules would follow the current comment period.