WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Five U.S. senators along with Maine Sen. Susan Collins have introduced a bill to reduce the amount of robocalls Americans receive.
In a release from Sen. Collins' office, the proposed bill is called the Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act of 2019.
“In Maine alone, residents received an astonishing 93 million robocalls last year,” Collins said.
“Putting an end to the scourge of illegal robocalls will take an aware public, aggressive action by regulators and law enforcement agencies, and a coordinated effort at every level of our telecommunications industry. The enhanced penalties called for by our ‘Anti-Spoofing Penalty Modernization Act’ are an important tool in the fight. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.”
The release says that spoofing is a way for criminal robocallers to mask their identity.
Congress passed the Truth in Caller ID Act in 2010, which prohibits the use of misleading or inaccurate caller-ID information to intentionally defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.
The Anti-Spoofing Penalties Modernization Act of 2019 would double the penalties for robocalling from $10,000 to $20,000 per violation, and the maximum fine from $1 million to $2 million.
The bill was proposed by Collins at an Aging Committee hearing on Wednesday.
