Spam texts could finally be gone for good under new FCC rules

Shutterstock
(Image credit: Shutterstock / ImYanis)

Spam text messages could soon be a thing of the past as acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Jessica Rosenworcel has laid out her plans to eliminate them for good.

Rosenworcel recently shared a proposal for a set of new rules that would require mobile carriers to block illegal text messages.

The move builds on the FCC's efforts stop both SIM swapping attacks and robocalls as the government agency has been exploring ways to further protect smartphone users in the US from falling victim to mobile fraud and identity theft.

Blocking spam text messages

Spam text messages continue to be a problem for smartphone users and last year, the FCC received approximately 14,000 consumer complaints regarding unwanted text messages representing an almost 146 percent increase when compared to the previous year.

So far in 2021, the FCC has received over 9,800 consumer complaints about unwanted texts and according to the spam call and text blocker RoboKiller, 7.4bn spam texts were sent in March of this year alone.

Rosenworcel provided further insight on the dangers spam texts pose to consumers in a press release, saying:

“In a world where so many of us rely heavily on texting to stay connected with our friends and family, ensuring the integrity of this communication is vitally important. We’ve seen a rise in scammers trying to take advantage of our trust of text messages by sending bogus robotexts that try to trick consumers to share sensitive information or click on malicious links. It’s time we take steps to confront this latest wave of fraud and identify how mobile carriers can block these automated messages before they have the opportunity to cause any harm.”

If adopted by a vote from the FCC, Rosenworcel's new rules would explore steps to further protect consumers from spam text messages using a number of tactics including network level blocking and applying caller authentication standards to text messaging.

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home. 

Read more
Computer Hacked, System Error, Virus, Cyber attack, Malware Concept. Danger Symbol
Help! We're drowning in email spam, it's about to get worse and there's nothing we can do to stop it
Man holding a mobile phone with warning notification and spam message icon
Scammers have a new phishing trick for iPhone users – here’s how to avoid falling victim
A person holding a phone looking at a scam text with warning signs around
A massive SMS toll fee scam is sweeping the US – here’s how to stay safe, according to the FBI
Surfshark Alternative Number running on an iPhone
How to use Surfshark Alternative Number to stop unwanted spam and scam calls
An American flag flying outside the US Capitol building against a blue sky
The FCC is creating a security council to bolster US defenses against cyberattacks
Person using a phone and laptop in a cafe.
RCS vs SMS: What is the difference between the two for businesses?
Latest in Security
Power cables stretching out in front of the horizon
Solar grids could be hijacked and even potentially disabled by these security flaws
Spam messages
Microsoft Stream classic domain hijacked, causing spam across SharePoint
Isometric demonstrating multi-factor authentication using a mobile device.
NCSC gets influencers to sing the praises of 2FA
Sam Altman and OpenAI
OpenAI is upping its bug bounty rewards as security worries rise
A stylized depiction of a padlocked WiFi symbol sitting in the centre of an interlocking vault.
Dangerous new CoffeeLoader malware executes on your GPU to get past security tools
China
Notorious Chinese hackers FamousSparrow allegedly target US financial firms
Latest in News
Power cables stretching out in front of the horizon
Solar grids could be hijacked and even potentially disabled by these security flaws
Lenovo | Thinkpad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon
Windows 11’s latest patch declares war on BIOS updates for some Lenovo laptops, blocking them as a security risk in a bizarre turn of events
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Samsung confirms Galaxy Watches aren't tracking sleep properly – here's the fix if you're affected
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream screenshot showing a Mii smelling some fresh flowers.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a sequel to my favorite 3DS game, and I think it's already packing the charm that inZOI lacks
Spam messages
Microsoft Stream classic domain hijacked, causing spam across SharePoint
ChatGPT logo
ChatGPT 4o just got better, although I’m yet to notice a difference