KIYC: Robocalls on the rise, despite efforts to block them
New research shows spam calls have increased in the five years since anti-robocall legislation was passed.
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If you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed with robocalls, you’re not alone.
Despite robocall-blocking laws that took effect five years ago, new research shows the problem is bigger than ever.
Starting in 2021, phone companies were required to start blocking robocalls on their networks and certify their efforts in an FCC database. But five years later, the number of robocalls isn't going down. In fact, research from the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) shows we're getting more robocalls than ever before.
"We saw a more than 15% increase in unwanted calls, spam and scam and telemarketing calls in 2025," says Teresa Murray, PIRG's consumer watchdog director. "So, I mean it really kind of defies logic."
PIRG finds one of the problems is that phone companies have been slow to implement call blocking technology. Of the 9,242 phone companies scattered across the United States, only 4,084 of them - less than half - have fully implemented the mandatory software, and nearly 3,000 have not installed it at all.
The big three wireless companies - T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon have implemented the technology for wireless customers but not all landline customers have it yet. Last year, the FCC shut down about 1,400 local phone companies across the country, which the agency said were allowing illegal calls to go through.
Until the blocking software is more widely utilized, PIRG recommends that consumers use smartphone features to send unknown callers directly to voicemail. But the agency says that may not be a viable option for everyone, especially those who need to take calls for business.
