Phone companies must now block robocalls based on a 'do-not-originate' list

The US communications regulator now requires all phone companies to block robocalls using a specific list of numbers that should never originate calls. This means fewer scam calls will reach people, because the calls will be stopped before they even get to a person's phone.

For years, phone companies could decide for themselves how to block robocalls. This led to inconsistent blocking and many unwanted calls still getting through. Now, every phone company must use the same basic list of known bad numbers, which makes it harder for robocallers to find a path to your phone. This is a small but concrete step in a long fight against phone spam.