Federal Trade Commission to Host Robocall Summit Tomorrow

The Federal Trade Commission will host a Robocall Summit tomorrow in Washington, DC.  FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz will provide opening remarks, and will be joined at the event by experts in the fields of law enforcement, telemarketing and telecommunications. 

During the last two years the FTC has stopped companies responsible for billions of robocalls that offered everything from fraudulent credit card services and so-called auto warranty protection, to home security systems and grant procurement programs.  But the number of robocall complaints continues to rise as new technologies enable telemarketers to autodial thousands of phone calls every minute that display false or misleading caller ID information for an incredibly low cost.

The Robocall Summit will explore innovations designed to trace robocalls, prevent wrongdoers from faking caller ID data, and stop unwanted calls. The event will include a report on the current state of robocall technology and the industry, along with a discussion of the laws surrounding the use of robocalls, including how they are enforced, enforcement limitations, and what this means for consumers.  The afternoon sessions will focus on developing solutions to the problem of illegal robocalls, including panels on caller ID spoofing and call authentication, data mining and anomaly detection, and call-blocking.  The Summit, which will be webcast, will close with a special announcement by Bureau of Consumer Protection Director David Vladeck.

The workshop is free and open to the public.  It will be held at the FTC’s satellite conference center at 601 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC.  Pre-registration is encouraged because seating is limited.  To pre-register, send an email containing your name and organization to robocall_summit@ftc.gov. The FTC will webcast the summit.

Day-of registration for the conference will begin at 8:15 am on the 18th.  Please arrive at the FTC 30 minutes before the event, and bring a valid government issued photo ID.  The security processing will include a metal detector and X-ray screening of all hand carried items.

FTC staff will live-tweet the Robocall Summit. The agency’s Twitter handle is @FTC.  If you watch the webcast and want to submit questions to participants online, tweet questions with the hashtag #FTCrobo.  You may also submit questions via the FTC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/federaltradecommission.

Information for Consumers

The FTC also recently issued tips for consumers, as well as two new consumer education videos explaining robocalls and describing what consumers should do when they receive one.  See ftc.gov/robocalls for more information

Privacy Act Statement

Pre-registration for this event is voluntary.  The FTC will use your information, such as name and affiliation, to estimate and understand our audience better and to prepare name tags and check-in lists as required for building security. If you do not pre-register, we may be unable to accommodate you, and it may take longer to get through building security.

The FTC Act and other laws that the FTC administers permit us to ask for this information in order to manage and administer this event.  Under the Freedom of Information Act or other laws, the FTC may be required to disclose this information to outside organizations and individuals. The FTC may also routinely use the information in other ways described in the FTC’s system of records notice and appendix for contact lists, which we maintain and safeguard under the Privacy Act of 1974.  To learn more about how the FTC handles and protects the information we collect, see our Privacy Policy.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call
1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.