FCC threatens to disconnect Twilio for illegal robocalls (commsrisk.com)

Article summary

The FCC has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Twilio, a large communications-platform-as-a-service provider, due to its involvement in originating illegal robocalls on behalf of one of its clients. Twilio has 48 hours to stop the robocalls and 14 days to implement measures to prevent future illegal calls. Failure to comply may result in downstream voice service providers blocking all of Twilio's traffic. The FCC's action is seen as an escalation in its efforts to combat illegal robocalls.

Main themes

• FCC regulation
• Robocalls
• Twilio
• Know-your-customer requirements
• Telecom industry
• Spam and phishing
• Compliance and enforcement
• Alternative communication platforms

What commenters say

• Twilio is guilty by association for allowing a client to make illegal robocalls through its platform.
• The company has known about the issue for years and has taken steps to combat it, but more needs to be done.
• Other companies, such as Sinch and Signalwire, are suggested as alternatives to Twilio for sending transactional SMS.
• The FCC's threat to disconnect Twilio is a necessary step to pressure US comms providers into imposing strict know-your-customer requirements.
• Some commenters believe that Twilio is not entirely to blame, as it is just a platform used by other companies to make robocalls.
• Others argue that Twilio has a positive obligation to prevent illegal use of its platform and should be held accountable.
• Tracking down the source of robocalls and reporting them to the relevant authorities can be an effective way to combat the problem.
• Some individuals have had success in getting domains and SSL certificates revoked by reporting spam and phishing activity to the relevant providers.