Congressman Brett Guthrie and Congressman Gary Palmer announced a hearing titled “Stopping Illegal Robocalls and Robotexts: Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps.” The hearing is scheduled for June 4, 2025, at the Rayburn House Office Building. It will address the ongoing issue of illegal robocalls and robotexts that have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars.
“Illegal, predatory robocalls and robotexts have defrauded Americans of billions of dollars and undermined the public’s faith in the communications they receive,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Palmer. They emphasized the need to examine efforts to target fraudsters and protect Americans from harassment.
Ben Winters from the Consumer Federation of America testified before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce about the growing threat posed by AI-driven scams. He highlighted that consumers lost over $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, with sophisticated AI tools enabling hyper-personalized fraud.
Winters pointed out regulatory gaps where agencies like the FCC prioritize deregulation over consumer protection, delaying enforcement of anti-robocall rules. He also noted that the FTC lacks resources to finalize critical rules or target enablers such as VoIP providers.
Winters urged Congress to strengthen enforcement by codifying state AGs’ anti-robocall principles, regulating AI companies by removing Section 230 immunity, and empowering consumers through private rights of action under the TRACED Act.
The hearing will be open to the public and press, with a livestream available online. For further inquiries regarding this hearing or press-related questions, contact Noah Jackson or Daniel Kelly via email.
Information from this article can be found here.
