Call Blocking and Other Consumer Protection Methods for Unsolicited Calls

On December 17, 2019, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that Canadians will soon have access to a call blocking system allowing consumers to protect themselves against unsolicited and illegitimate calls.  The system works to block calls before they reach the subscriber if they contain caller identification information that exceeds 15 digits or do not conform to the typical format of phone numbers (e.g. 000-000-0000).  With this system in place, consumers will have a more effective method to manage nuisance calls. Telecommunication service providers are working with organizations to ensure the compatibility of their call blocking systems with business telephone systems.

There are several other measures available to address the issue of nuisance calls which are either already, or in the process of, being implemented. Consumers may be more familiar with the National Do Not Call List and CRTC’s Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom Regulatory Policy, as these measures have been in place for some time.  New protection developments are also in play. For example, the CRTC is working with telecommunication service providers to verify caller ID information and trace nuisance calls to their point of origin. Additionally, the CRTC plans to implement the “STIR/SHAKEN” framework, a system which will assist with caller ID authentication and verification, by September 2020. STIR is a means for call-originating telephone service providers to certify the identity of callers, thereby validating caller’s identities. SHAKEN helps implement STIR in the context of internet protocol (IP)-based service providers’ networks.

In implementing these various measures, the CRTC is taking steps to strengthen consumer privacy rights by protecting them from unsolicited and illegitimate calls.

For more information, please refer to the CRTC’s News Release.

Summary By: Juliette Sakran