The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has ordered all telecom providers to implement a system to automatically block calls by December 19th, 2019.
Specifically, the CRTC requires that the system target calls with caller ID that either “exceeds 15 digits or does not conform to a number that can be dialed (for example, 000-000-0000).” These calls must be blocked before reaching the subscriber. Providers that already offer call-filtering services are exempt from this requirement.
The CRTC says this rule comes after it asked telecoms to track the number of customer complaints about nuisance calls. According to a November report from Canada’s television and telecom complaints department, overall telecom complaints increased 57 percent in 2018.
“The CRTC is taking a variety of actions to tackle nuisance calls. We are confident that this latest decision will help reduce the number of illegitimate calls Canadians are forced to deal with regularly,” Ian Scott, Chairperson and CEO of the CRTC, said in a press statement. “A call-blocking system will provide them with an additional level of protection, while ensuring they continue to receive legitimate calls, and encourage providers to continue their work on this issue.”
Source: CRTC
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