What is the TRACED Act?
What is the TRACED Act?
Section titled “What is the TRACED Act?”The TRACED Act — Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act — is a US federal law signed on December 30, 2019. It grants the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and law enforcement expanded tools and authority to prosecute telephone scammers and mandate deterring measures to protect consumers.
The TRACED Act updates and extends its legislative predecessor, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. As the technology behind telecommunications fraud evolved significantly, new and more comprehensive legislation became necessary. The TRACED Act’s primary goal is to support effective enforcement against unwanted and often illegal robocalls.
Major Provisions
Section titled “Major Provisions”STIR/SHAKEN
Section titled “STIR/SHAKEN”The TRACED Act directed the FCC to oversee implementation and maintenance of the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication framework.
STIR/SHAKEN consists of two related initiatives that work together to verify the identity of inbound calls and deter illegal Caller ID spoofing:
- STIR (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited) — uses cryptographic attestation to verify call origin on VoIP networks.
- SHAKEN (Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using toKENs) — extends authentication to non-VoIP systems, including conventional mobile networks.
STIR/SHAKEN is mandated across North America. Beyond identifying spoofed calls, these frameworks help trace the original source of illegal calls.
Call Blocking
Section titled “Call Blocking”The TRACED Act requires the FCC to ensure that call blocking technology is accessible and transparent for both callers and recipients. When calls are blocked, recipients must be notified. Effective redress must be available when legitimate calls are blocked unintentionally.
Reassigned Numbers Database
Section titled “Reassigned Numbers Database”The TRACED Act mandated the creation and maintenance of a Reassigned Numbers Database (RND). This database tracks permanent phone number disconnections and reassignments, allowing callers to check whether a number has changed hands before dialing, reducing unwanted contacts to people who did not originally consent to receive calls from a particular organization.
Why the TRACED Act Matters
Section titled “Why the TRACED Act Matters”Reading and implementing the TRACED Act’s requirements is a compliance obligation for all US voice service providers. SIPSTACK complies with STIR/SHAKEN and is registered in the Robocall Mitigation Database as required. Contact SIPSTACK to learn about available fraud protection and call authentication capabilities.