(The Center Square) — Arizona’s attorney general wants something done about
robocalls, but questions remain as to whether it will work.
Kris Mayes, D-Arizona, has joined what she described as “a multistate crackdown on illegal robocalls.”
It is part of something known as Operation Robocall Roundup.
Warning letters were sent to at least 37 telecom companies, saying they have failed to comply with the federal government’s rules to stop illegal robocall traffic.
“These telecom companies are knowingly allowing scam robocalls to be routed through their networks,” said Mayes in a press release. “They’ve ignored basic federal requirements, and by doing so, they are enabling fraudsters to reach Arizonans’ phones.”
According to Mayes, that ends now.
“My office will not tolerate companies that profit off robocalls, while putting our residents at risk,” said Mayes.
Examples of the ‘failures to comply’ include telecom companies not responding to traceback requests from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), not registering in the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database, or not submitting a plan to combat robocalls. Such mitigation plans are required by law.
This is not the first attempt by the government to curb or eliminate robocalls. What began in the late 1970s resulted in Florida’s implementation of the first state Do Not Call registry in 1987.
Since that time, many, if not most, states have announced their own Do Not Call registry. Yet, robocalls keep coming.
An August 8th press release from YouMail Inc says over 4.3 billion robocalls were received by U.S consumers in July. That is down 3% from June and marks the third straight month that robocalls have been declining.
However, 2025 may still prove to be the year of the robocall.
“2025, as a whole, is still on pace to exceed 2024’s volumes by 9%,” said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici in a press release. “Robocalls have clearly not gone away.”
Founded in 2007, YouMail’s mission statement says the organization aims to “protect America from unwanted callers.”
