Alabama is joining a multistate coalition to stop or reduce annoying robocalls.
Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Thursday that Alabama will participate in a bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general who are working to find a solution to stop malicious robocalls by focusing on the technology that major telecom companies are pursuing to stop the illegal calls.
“Robocalls are not simply annoying but have become a persistent harassment that is disrupting the lives of our citizens and can be a means for scammers to steal their hard-earned money and savings,” Marshall said. “We are committed to working together to find a constructive way to combat this growing problem. Robocalls, as well as spoofing which is often done to make it appear the calls are coming from someone known and reputable, will require technological solutions. We support the efforts of telecom companies to address this and urge them to reach and implement solutions as soon as possible.”
The multistate group has had in-depth meetings with several major telecom companies.
Marshall and the other state attorneys general say they are working to develop a “detailed understanding” of what technology could feasibly minimize the number of unwanted robocalls and illegal telemarketing. They’re also planning to press major companies to expedite the process to protect consumers and determine whether states could make further recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission.
Other states in the group include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
