AG Moody Applauds Congress for Passage of TRACED Act

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody thanks Congress for passing the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act. The TRACED Act, passed by the U.S. Senate Thursday, is designed to reduce the number of illegal robocalls and stop spoofing—the practice of using technology to disguise a caller’s phone number. The Act will now go to President Donald J. Trump for his signature.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Passing this Act is vital step in our fight to stop illegal robocalls and the scams that often accompany them nationwide. We must stop the inundation of robocalls that has been the norm for far too long. This legislation will also give us better tools for going against the practice of spoofing so we can better protect consumers.”

Attorney General Moody urged Congress earlier this year to pass the legislation because the TRACED Act enables states, federal regulators and telecom providers to each take steps in the effort to combat illegal robocalls. The legislation requires voice service providers to participate in a call authentication framework to help block unwanted calls. In addition, the Act creates an interagency working group that can take additional actions to reduce robocalls and hold telemarketers and robocalls accountable.

In March, Attorney General Moody joined a multistate bipartisan group of 54 attorneys general in sending a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in support of the bill.

To read the letter, click here.

To watch an earlier video message from Attorney General Moody on additional efforts to stop illegal robocalls, click here.

More than 48 billion robocalls were made in 2018. Robocalls remain the number one source of consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, resulting in millions in consumer losses every year.