Consumer Protection and Robocalls

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr told Fox News the commission will vote on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to encourage U.S. businesses to bring call-center jobs back to the United States and to tighten oversight of offshore operations. The proposal would require companies to tell customers when their call is routed overseas, give callers the option to switch to a U.S.-based representative, and consider mandating that call takers be proficient in American Standard English. Carr frames the move as a response to widespread frustration with language and cultural barriers, privacy and data‑security concerns, and the role some foreign centers play in training staff who later participate in scam campaigns. The item will also seek comment on using targeted tariffs or bonds to deter illegal robocalls originating abroad, effectively marrying telecom regulation to trade‑style penalties. With roughly 70% of U.S. companies now outsourcing at least one department, the initiative signals a significant possible shift in how federal regulators treat offshored customer service and cross‑border phone traffic.