Voice calling compliance and abuse prevention.

Industry standards and governing bodies

VoiceTel voice policies are based on guidance and enforcement standards established by:

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
• STIR/SHAKEN framework
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Mobile and wireline carrier anti-fraud policies
• Industry traceback consortiums and anti-robocall frameworks

These standards apply to all outbound voice traffic, including:

• Sales and marketing calls
• Automated or prerecorded calls
• Appointment reminders
• Customer support calls
• Political or informational campaigns
• Emergency notifications
• Debt collection communications

Calling compliance requirements

All outbound calling traffic must comply with the following requirements.

Prior express consent

Customers must obtain proper consent before placing calls or sending prerecorded or automated voice messages. Depending on the call type, the following may be required:

• Prior express consent
• Prior express written consent
• Opt-in documentation
• Verbal authorization
• Recorded authorization

Consent records must be retained and provided upon request.

Consent requirements by call type

Required consumer disclosures

Consumers should be informed of:

• Business identity
• Purpose of the call
• Any recording disclosures where legally required
• Opt-out methods where applicable

Caller ID and number presentation requirements

Accurate caller ID

All calls must transmit accurate and non-deceptive caller ID information. Customers may not:

• Spoof phone numbers without authorization
• Misrepresent the identity of the caller
• Impersonate government agencies, banks, carriers, or businesses
• Display invalid or unassigned phone numbers

Violations may result in immediate call blocking and regulatory enforcement.

STIR/SHAKEN compliance

VoiceTel supports STIR/SHAKEN authentication frameworks to help carriers verify caller identity and reduce illegal spoofing. Customers are required to:

• Use properly assigned numbers
• Avoid deceptive call practices
• Maintain legitimate call patterns
• Register traffic where required

Failure to comply may result in reduced attestation, spam labeling, or blocking by downstream carriers.

Robocalling and automated calling restrictions

The use of automated dialing systems, prerecorded messages, or artificial voice technologies is heavily regulated.

Prohibited calling practices

The following practices are prohibited unless explicitly authorized by applicable law and carrier policy:

• Unsolicited prerecorded marketing calls
• Illegal robocalling campaigns
• Neighbor spoofing
• Ringless voicemail abuse
• Repeated harassment calls
• Calls placed without consent
• Calls to numbers listed on Do Not Call registries without exemption

Artificial voice and AI-generated calls

The FCC has clarified that AI-generated or artificial voice calls are subject to TCPA robocall restrictions. Customers using AI-generated voice systems must:

• Obtain required consent
• Clearly identify the caller
• Avoid deceptive or misleading representations
• Comply with all applicable robocall regulations

Do Not Call (DNC) compliance

Customers are responsible for complying with:

• National Do Not Call Registry rules
• State-level DNC regulations
• Internal company suppression lists

Required DNC practices

Customers must:

• Honor opt-out requests immediately
• Maintain internal DNC records
• Avoid calling reassigned or invalid numbers
• Process revocation of consent promptly

Failure to comply may result in carrier complaints, lawsuits, or enforcement actions.

Prohibited voice traffic

The following categories of voice traffic are strictly prohibited.

Fraudulent or scam calls

Including but not limited to:

• IRS impersonation scams
• Social Security scams
• Fake bank fraud alerts
• Warranty scams
• Tech support scams
• Package delivery scams
• Utility shutoff threats

Caller ID spoofing

Illegal spoofing includes:

• Falsifying caller identity
• Displaying unauthorized phone numbers
• Impersonating emergency services or government agencies

Harassment or abusive calling

Prohibited conduct includes:

• Repeated unwanted calls
• Threatening or abusive communications
• Intentional call flooding
• Harassing autodialer campaigns

Traffic pumping and access stimulation

Artificial traffic generation intended to exploit telecom compensation structures is prohibited. Examples include:

• Artificially inflated inbound traffic
• Revenue-sharing abuse
• Automated traffic generation schemes

Illegal telemarketing

• Telemarketing without consent
• Calls outside permitted hours
• Failure to provide opt-out mechanisms
• Ignoring DNC restrictions

Voice traffic violations and enforcement

Carriers and regulators actively monitor voice traffic for spam, fraud, and abusive behavior. Enforcement actions may occur without notice.

Illegal robocalling

Potential consequences include:

• Immediate traffic blocking
• FCC enforcement actions
• Traceback investigations
• Carrier blacklisting

Spoofing violations

Caller ID spoofing may result in:

• STIR/SHAKEN attestation downgrade
• Spam labeling
• Number blocking
• Regulatory fines

Excessive consumer complaints

High complaint ratios may trigger:

• Spam call labeling
• Analytics blocking
• Throughput restrictions
• Number suspension

Invalid or unregistered traffic

Traffic originating from improperly registered or unauthorized numbers may be blocked immediately.

Carrier fine pass-through policy

VoiceTel reserves the right to pass through any carrier-imposed penalties, traceback fees, regulatory fines, or enforcement costs resulting from customer-generated voice traffic violations. Potential penalties may include:

VoiceTel may suspend or terminate services immediately for severe or repeated abuse violations.

Best practices for voice compliance

To maintain healthy call delivery and reduce spam labeling risks:

• Obtain and retain proper consent
• Use accurate caller ID information
• Avoid high-volume aggressive dialing
• Honor opt-out requests immediately
• Monitor complaint and answer rates
• Use properly assigned phone numbers
• Register traffic where required
• Avoid deceptive or misleading language
• Maintain updated DNC suppression lists
• Follow STIR/SHAKEN best practices

Additional resources

• FCC robocall and spoofing rules
• TCPA compliance information
• STIR/SHAKEN overview
• FTC Do Not Call Registry