Agencies are partnering with the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network
UNITED STATES: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has renewed its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to combat unsolicited communications, including email and text spam, scams, and illegal telemarketing. The MOU aims to promote cross-border collaboration between public authorities who are members of the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network (UCENet).
The FTC and FCC have signed the MOU to fight robocalls and other unsolicited communications that try to prey on consumers. The MOU is a non-binding instrument that facilitates information sharing, capacity building, and enforcement assistance among the partners. The MOU has been renewed and made evergreen, given the success of the collaboration under the original document.
“The FTC is committed to using all of its tools to fight robocalls and other unsolicited communications that try to prey on consumers,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “This scourge does not respect borders, and our recommitment to this MOU underscores the importance of international communication and cooperation to combat this problem.”
The UCENet MOU is part of the FTC’s continuing work to fight harms that can arise from unwanted messages. Unsolicited communications in the form of illegal and spoofed robocalls, text messages, and emails are often the source of scams that harm millions of consumers in the United States each year. The revised MOU has also been signed by UCENet partners in Canada, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The FTC’s work in this area includes its recent Operation Stop Scam Calls initiative, which united federal and state law enforcement partners from across the United States in their fight against illegal telemarketing operations and the companies that facilitate their scams via lead generation and telecommunications services. The effort also targeted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers who facilitate illegal robocalls every year, which often originate overseas.
The collaboration, information-sharing, and intelligence-sharing by UCENet MOU signatories serve to strengthen, enhance, and complement the work of the FTC and other domestic agencies fighting the scourge of unwanted and illegal telemarketing calls. The lead staffer on this matter was Kristina Mulligan in the Commission’s Office of International Affairs.
The FTC works with counterpart agencies to promote sound antitrust, consumer protection, and data privacy enforcement and policy. The renewed MOU between the FTC and FCC is a significant step towards combating unsolicited communications and protecting consumers from scams and illegal telemarketing.
