Public Policy

“Twilio applauds the bipartisan leadership shown in the Senate today to pass the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (HR 3684), particularly the critical resources allocated to expand broadband internet access and close the digital divide.

Twilio Ireland Limited (Twilio) has launched a public consultation on its Reference Interconnect Offer (RIO) in Luxembourg in accordance with the obligations imposed on Twilo in ILR Regulation ILR/T21/1. The RIO is open for for public consultation from 14 April 2021 to 14 May 2021. Twilio invites all interested parties to send it their comments in relation to the proposed RIO by 14 May 2021.

Recently, I was proud to have participated in USTelecom’s panel discussion about efforts in the United States to stop illegal robocalls entitled, “Hanging up on Illegal Robocalls.” For those of you who missed it, a recording of it can be found here.

In case you missed the news, Twilio was welcomed today as a new member of USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group (ITG). The Industry Traceback Group is where major stakeholders in the telecommunications industry come together to actively trace and identify the source of illegal robocalls, helping to prevent illegal robocalls from the start. The ITG epitomizes the type of industry-wide cooperation and is a crucial element of the complex approach needed to turn the tide against illegal robocalls.

It’s no secret that we are in the midst of one of the most partisan times in United States’ political history. There are few things that Congressional Democrats and Republican agree on. So it says something that a generally divided Congress came together to fight the robocall scourge that we are all currently enduring. It goes to show there’s one thing we all can agree on: Everybody hates unwanted robocalls. I say “unwanted” because in reality, there are a lot of instances when a robocall is actually helpful. When a school calls a parent to say that classes are cancelled, or when a drugstore calls to say that a prescription is ready, or when an airline calls to say a flight has been delayed, to name a few. But for every “good” robocall example, there are many, many examples of “bad” robocalls.

Twilio submitted comments in response to the FCC’s public proposal to encourage STIR/SHAKEN implementation. To more effectively fight robocalls, Twilio recommends the FCC (1) adopt as proposed a narrow safe harbor for blocking of calls with complete attestation that fail SHAKEN/STIR authentication; (2) require voice providers to provide mechanisms for identifying and remedying blocking of wanted calls; and (3) establish a Critical Call List to ensure all emergency calls are received. To protect consumers from unwanted calls and to ensure they receive wanted calls, remediation efforts must be simple and transparent. In addition, blocking efforts must be spelled out in a specific, qualified manner that puts the best interest of consumers first and reserves their right to ultimately determine what calls they want to block and receive on their phones. We appreciate the leadership of the FCC and look forward to working with them, Congress and the broader communications eco-system towards the shared goal of blocking bad robocalls.

In an effort to fight robocalls, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on June 6 approved a rule giving carriers authority to block unlawful robocalls and to automatically enroll customers in call blocking programs of the various carriers. Carriers will not be authorized to take action until the final version of the rule is released by the FCC, which is anticipated to happen sometime within the next week. Calls are not being blocked at this moment and it remains to be seen when that process will actually begin.

Twilio congratulates the Senate on passing the TRACED Act. In particular, we appreciate Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) for their leadership on the very important issue of stopping robocalls. We agree that consumers deserve relief from illegal robocalls as soon as possible and are fully committed to working with public and private stakeholders to advance the benefits of STIR/SHAKEN. This effort must also ensure that consumers continue to receive all wanted communications from entities such as charities, schools, health care providers and businesses alike. STIR/SHAKEN is one tool that will help advance these important goals. We can and should solve the robocalling challenge together in the best interest of all consumers.

Twilio applauds the FCC and Congress for their efforts to combat malicious caller ID spoofing and robocalls. Today, Twilio filed with the FCC public comments supporting these efforts. Specifically, Twilio asked the FCC to ensure that new rules closely reflect Congress’s targeted approach to preserve legitimate practices for altering caller ID while combating fraudulent practices that harm consumers. Legitimate practices include those designed to protect the privacy and safety of consumers and encourage efficiency in business. We appreciate the FCC’s leadership in protecting consumers against harmful phone scams and look forward to working with the FCC and Congress in their efforts to crack down on predatory phone behavior.