FCC Plans Robocall Mitigation Scorecard to Rate Phone Companies

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced plans to create a robocall mitigation scorecard that will evaluate how effectively telephone companies block illegal spam calls.

The proposed scorecard could include call-blocking statistics, customer complaint data, and information about enforcement actions. Providers could receive a numerical rating, letter grade, or risk classification such as low-risk, medium-risk, or high-risk.

“By providing the public with an assessment of the effectiveness of voice service providers’ efforts to protect consumers from illegal robocalls, the scorecard will empower consumers and encourage providers to continue combating illegal robocalls,” the FCC’s Office of Consumer and Governmental Affairs said in a public notice.

The proposed tool would assess wireless, wireline, and VoIP providers based on their robocall-blocking efforts and their “real results in protection” for consumers. The FCC said the system would go beyond administrative requirements, such as submitting documentation or offering reporting tools, and instead use composite metrics that measure both operational practices and outcomes—including how frequently legitimate calls are mistakenly blocked.

The scorecard’s value to consumers will depend on how it is designed, how easily each provider’s rating can be found, and which data sources the FCC uses. The proposed system would apply to domestic voice service providers with retail customers, but not to companies that operate exclusively as wholesale or intermediary carriers.

“Combatting the scourge of illegal robocalls remains the FCC’s top consumer protection priority,” FCC Chairman Brendan Kerr said in a press release. “As proposed in today’s bulletin, the FCC aims to develop a scorecard that will provide consumers with more information about the steps providers are taking to combat illegal robocalls, and that will also incentivize providers to improve their efforts.”