FCC plans robocall scorecard to grade phone companies on spam call blocking

Carrier scorecards may include call-blocking stats and data on customer complaints. Credit: Getty Images | BestForBest The Federal Communications Commission today said it will create a robocall mitigation scorecard to rate phone companies on how effectively they block illegal spam calls. The scorecards could include call-blocking statistics along with data on customer complaints and enforcement actions. The FCC said scorecards could grade providers on a number scale, with letter grades, or by classifying providers as low risk, medium risk, or high risk. “The Scorecard will empower consumers and encourage providers to continue to combat illegal robocalls by providing the public with an assessment of the effectiveness of voice service providers’ efforts to protect consumers from illegal robocalls,” the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau said in a public notice. The proposed tool would rate wireless, wireline, and VoIP providers on efforts to block robocalls and their “actual results in protecting [consumers] from illegal robocalls,” the FCC said. “In practice, that means moving beyond a simple administrative checklist (i.e., did the provider file the right paperwork, did they offer the right tools) and toward a composite set of metrics that reflects both operational practices and measurable outcomes, including how often legitimate calls are blocked.” Whether the tool is useful for consumers will depend on how it’s designed, how easy each provider’s scorecard is to find, and what data sources it relies on. The proposed scorecard would apply to domestic voice service providers with retail customers, but not telcos that operate solely as wholesale or intermediate providers. “Combatting the scourge of illegal robocalls remains the FCC’s top consumer protection priority… As proposed in today’s public notice, the FCC aims to develop a scorecard that will give consumers more information about the measures providers are taking to fight illegal robocalls, and it will also incentivize providers to improve their efforts,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a press release. Scorecards need “the right information” The FCC is seeking public comment on what sources of data to use for the robocall scorecard. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the commission’s only Democrat, said the “scorecard could increase consumer awareness of how providers fight illegal robocalls” if it includes “the right information.” The robocall scorecard won’t be the first FCC initiative designed to give consumers useful data about telecom providers. The FCC requires Internet providers to display pricing information on publicly accessible broadband labels, though Carr recently led a vote to stop requiring that ISPs list all their discretionary fees on those labels. Consumer advocacy groups are likely to weigh in on the call for public comments, and so are phone companies that won’t want the scorecards to rate them poorly. The docket is available at this FCC webpage. “We applaud the FCC’s possible renewed interest in cracking down on scam and spam robocalls. The FCC’s efforts have been disappointing for years, going back to even before Congress passed the robocall crackdown law in 2019,” Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), told Ars today. Murray, who wrote a report in February 2025 grading providers on their blocking efforts, said she is concerned about what information the FCC will use and whether it will be useful to consumers. “Phone customers should absolutely feel empowered to speak with their wallets if they’re unhappy with their phone service,” Murray told Ars. “But switching cellphone or VoIP providers isn’t as easy as choosing to shop at a different grocery store next week, even if someone isn’t in a phone contract. Maybe the point of the scorecard would be to shame providers into doing better. And that would be a good thing.” Complaints and other data The FCC proposes using conduct-based metrics and outcome-based metrics. The first category measures “whether a provider has taken specific steps or responded to specific requests related to illegal robocall mitigation,” while the second examines “whether a provider’s efforts actually reduce illegal robocalls reaching consumers, such as whether the number, rate, or severity of illegal robocalls… is measurably lower because of something the provider did.” The FCC appears likely to use data from the providers themselves and from third parties. The public notice said: Specifically, we seek comment on what sources we can use for the metrics we choose to use… Are providers themselves a good source of such data? In some cases, are they the only source? Are there other sources, such as call analytics companies, that providers may use to help with labeling and blocking? Are there other parties that might have helpful data, including private companies or other governmental entities? Do such parties have data on all providers we would include in the Scorecard or just a portion of them? Are such data sources unbiased, i.e., do not have an interest in skewing results in favor of certain providers? The FCC said the scorecards may show data from consumer complaints filed with the FCC, Federal Trade Commission, and other government bodies. It asked for comments on the limitations of using complaint data, since “the mere filing of a complaint does not necessarily indicate a failure to stop an illegal call from reaching a consumer.” “Is a complaint sufficient evidence that a consumer is unhappy with the robocall protection their provider is giving them?” the FCC asked. The FCC proposed measuring the accuracy of blocking tools and is seeking comment on how to do that. The proposed tool would rate providers both on blocking illegal robocalls and on avoiding erroneous blocking of legitimate calls. “Data on provider blocking practices specifically, tracked over time, may also help identify which approaches are most effective at minimizing erroneous blocking of legitimate calls while still stopping illegal robocalls, and could inform best practices across the industry,” the FCC said. Caller ID verification and robocall tracebacks Other proposed sources of data include FCC enforcement actions; filings with the Robocall Mitigation Database, in which providers certify their implementation of STIR/SHAKEN technology for Caller ID verification; and data from the Industry Traceback Group, a telecom industry group that traces the sources of illegal robocalls. Murray said she wants scorecard information to include traceback requests and complaints about phone companies that have potentially violated state or federal laws; warnings issued by the FCC or state attorneys general to phone providers about patterns of illegal calls; and specific details about companies’ deployment of STIR/SHAKEN. The scorecard should show whether there are “services the company can legally offer to help customers that the company isn’t offering or it’s charging for,” Murray said. Phone companies should have to disclose the scorecards in prominent places, like their websites, billing statements, or marketing materials, she said. “Perhaps this is just the start of a new conversation about what regulators and lawmakers can do about this horrific problem,” Murray said, noting that victims of phone scams have suffered “devastating losses,” while phone users in general face “daily annoyances of unwanted robocalls.” Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 19 Comments