FCC Votes to Give Consumers More Choice in the Calls They Receive
October 15, 2026
New Rules Make It Easy to Opt-Out of Calls Consumers Don’t Want Without Missing Those They Do
WASHINGTON, September 30, 2026—The Federal Communications Commission voted today to give consumers more control over the calls they receive. These changes will modernize rules to ensure consumers have clear, simple, and automated ways to revoke consent for calls they no longer wish to receive. It also streamlines callers’ ability to process revocation requests.
Complaints about illegal robocalls remain the top issue reported to the FCC, and the agency has taken a variety of measures to protect consumers from such calls. Robocalls also provide critical, time-sensitive informational calls and texts – like medical appointment reminders and fraud alerts – that many consumers want to receive.
The new rules the Commission adopted today will empower consumers to stop specific categories of robocalls without inadvertently stopping the important informational calls they do want. The Report and Order will also allow consumers to use a clearly designated method to revoke consent and will better ensure an efficient and effective response from the callers. It also allows financial institutions to more easily alert customers to fraudulent activity on their account, enabling consumers to protect their accounts more quickly.
The Commission also voted to seek public comment on proposed improvements to the rules suggested in a joint proposal from consumer groups and industry stakeholders. This includes potentially reducing the time callers have to honor revocation requests, requiring callers to provide a method to revoke consent to all robocalls, requirements for two-way texting functionality to allow the use of reply texts to revoke consent, and the treatment of consent revocation across affiliated businesses and divisions.
The FCC’s comprehensive strategy to attack scam calls at every stage of the call path includes expanding know-your-customer and know-your-upstream provider requirements so bad actors can’t place scam calls; exploring how phone numbers and area codes are used so as to restore trust in calls that are made; and ensuring that all voice service providers are doing their part to identify and block illegal calls so they never reach consumers’ phones.
Action by the Commission September 30, 2026 by Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 26-67). Chairman Carr, Commissioners Gomez and Trusty approving. Chairman Carr and Commissioner Trusty issuing separate statements.
CG Docket No. 02-278
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