(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that Alabama is participating in a bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general to stop or reduce annoying and harmful robocalls. This coalition is focused on the technology that major telecom companies are pursuing to combat illegal robocalls.

“Robocalls are not simply annoying but have become a persistent harassment that is disrupting the lives of our citizens and can be a means for scammers to steal their hard-earned money and savings,” said Attorney General Marshall. “We are committed to working together to find a constructive way to combat this growing problem. Robocalls, as well as spoofing which is often done to make it appear the calls are coming from someone known and reputable, will require technological solutions. We support the efforts of telecom companies to address this and urge them to reach and implement solutions as soon as possible.”

The multi-state group has had in-depth meetings with several major telecom companies. Attorney General Marshall and his colleagues are working to:

• Develop a detailed understanding of what is technologically feasible to minimize unwanted robocalls and illegal telemarketing,
• Press the major telecom companies to expedite the best possible solutions for consumers, and
• Determine whether states should make further recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission.

In addition to Attorney General Marshall in Alabama, those participating in the group include the attorneys general of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.