The FCC has been going after robocallers all this time. E.g., here's one from 15 years ago that I happened to remember, Cardholder Services: https://docs.fcc.go

The FCC has been going after robocallers all this time. E.g., here's one from 15 years ago that I happened to remember, Cardholder Services: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-07-977A1.pdf https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-07-977A1.pdf The problem they're solving now is securing the phone network, which is a harder problem. Important barriers included 1) decades of history where it wasn't necessary, 2) entrenched industry players not wanting to change anything, 3) an ill-considered opening up of telephone system interconnection, 4) a quasi-religious deregulatory/free-market credo popular among a segment of politicians, and 5) politicians who are more sensitive to the concerns of rich execs. I think the reason it is happening now is that a lot of the people arguing against this have finally realized that it's dooming the telephone call, so their businesses are feeling it.