Google, Somos Seek Tweaks to Toll-Free Numbering Declaratory Ruling Amid Privacy Concerns
Google and Somos, the toll-free numbering administrator, sought tweaks to the draft declaratory ruling on the integrity of texting to toll-free numbers teed up for a vote at Thursday’s commissioners’ meeting (see 1805170068), in meetings at the FCC last week.…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
Google officials reported on meetings with Wireline Bureau staff and aides to the four commissioners, filing in docket 18-28. “We expressed Google’s support for providing additional clarity regarding text-enabling toll free numbers and emphasized that, in the current environment, user privacy and security concerns are impediments to commercial use of text-enabled toll free technology,” it said. “We encouraged the Commission to recognize those concerns.” Somos officials met with aides to Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel. The company “explained the concerns that had given rise to Somos's 2016 Petition for Declaratory Ruling, including the text-enablement of Toll Free Numbers without subscriber permission and the text-enablement of unassigned numbers,” Somos said. “Somos expressed its hope that the clear statement in the proposed Declaratory Ruling that Toll Free Numbers may not be text-enabled without subscriber consent will address the worst of these abuses.”