Photo: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP / Getty Images
Oregon has joined 48 other states in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to tighten regulations against robocalls. The coalition, led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, is pushing for stricter standards to prevent nearly 30 billion scam robocalls and texts that plagued Americans last year, costing consumers almost $2 billion.
Attorney General Rayfield emphasized the responsibility of phone companies to vet their business partners to prevent scammers from exploiting the system. He stated, "Oregonians shouldn’t have to treat every unknown call like a threat," highlighting that some companies profit by ignoring these responsibilities. The coalition is advocating for better business vetting, improved caller ID protections, and penalties for companies allowing illegal robocalls.
The initiative is part of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force's ongoing efforts, which began with Operation Robocall Roundup in 2025. The task force has already sent warnings to smaller phone companies and is now focusing on larger providers.
Attorney General Rayfield and his counterparts are calling for the FCC to enforce the "Know Your Upstream Provider" rule, ensuring that phone companies verify their partners and block illegal calls.
In a related effort, Oregon is also considering the Telemarketing Modernization Act, which would redefine telephone solicitation to include text messages and limit telemarketing calls to three per day. This bill aims to protect consumers from excessive and intrusive communications.
As the coalition continues to push for stronger regulations, the focus remains on safeguarding consumers from fraudulent activities and ensuring phone companies uphold their responsibilities.