Notice2023-23252
Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 20, 2023
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 202 (Friday, October 20, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 202 (Friday, October 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72479-72480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23252]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-xxxx; FR ID 179269]
Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal
Communications Commission
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens,
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on the following information collections. Comments are
requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected;
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer
than 25 employees.
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before December
19, 2023. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but
find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this
notice, you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b4b495a5b7d7878357c746d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ebbbb9aaab8d8888c58c849d">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#99daf8edf1e0b7cef0f5f5f0f8f4ead9fffafab7fef6ef"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93d0f2e7fbeabdc4fafffffaf2fee0d3f5f0f0bdf4fce5">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be
subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of
information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB
control number.
OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
Title: Targeting and Eliminating Unlawful Text Messages.
[[Page 72480]]
Form Number: N/A.
Type of Review: New information collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, and state,
local, or tribal government.
Number of Respondents: 2,893 respondents; 34,716 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this of information is contained in sections
4(i), 4(j), 227, 301, 303, 307, and 316 of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 227, 301, 303, 307, and
316.
Total Annual Burden: 34,716 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Needs and Uses: This notice and request for comments seeks to
establish a new information collection as it pertains to the Targeting
and Eliminating Unlawful Text Messages, Rules and Regulations
Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, CG Docket
No. 21-402, CG Docket No. 02-278, Report and Order and Further Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 23-21, (rel. Mar. 17, 2023) (Text Blocking
Report and Order). Text message-based scams can include links to well-
designed phishing websites that appear identical to the website of a
legitimate company and can fool a victim into providing personal or
financial information. Texted links can also load unwanted software
onto a device, including malware that steals passwords, credentials, or
other personal information. The Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) is therefore, for the first time, requiring all mobile
wireless providers to block certain text messages that are highly
likely to be illegal, so that all subscribers have a basic level of
protection. In the Text Blocking Report and Order, adopted on March 16,
2023 and released on March 17, 2023, the Commission is requiring mobile
wireless providers to block certain text messages that are highly
likely to be illegal. The Commission is requiring mobile wireless
providers to block--at the network level--texts purporting to be from
North American Numbering Plan (NANP) numbers on a reasonable Do-Not-
Originate (DNO) list, which include numbers that purport to be from
invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers, and NANP numbers for which the
subscriber to the number has requested that texts purporting to
originate from that number be blocked.
Text Blocking Report and Order, FCC 23-21, para. 16.
We adopt our proposal to require mobile wireless providers to block
text messages at the network level (i.e., without requiring consumer
opt in or opt out). The rule we adopt requires that they block texts
purporting to be from numbers on a reasonable DNO list. As the
Commission determined with calls, we find that no reasonable consumer
would wish to receive text messages that spoof a number that is not in
operation or, worse, purports to be from a well-known, trusted
organization that does not send text messages and thus is highly likely
to be a scam. Our requirement to block texts that purport to be from
numbers on a reasonable DNO list does not include text messages from
short codes.
The new information collection for which OMB approval is sought
comes from the affirmative obligation adopted in the Text Blocking
Report and Order that all mobile wireless providers must block calls
using a reasonable DNO list. Currently, the Commission requires gateway
providers to block voice calls purporting to originate on a reasonable
DNO list, under section 47 CFR 64.1200(o) of the Commission's rules,
but this is the first time that the Commission has required mobile
wireless providers to block texts. The Commission is also ensuring that
any erroneous blocking can be quickly remedied by requiring mobile
wireless providers and other entities to maintain a point of contact
for texters to report erroneously blocked texts.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-23252 Filed 10-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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