We are quickly approaching the final implementation deadline of STIR/SHAKEN legislation, which was enacted to reduce spam and scam calls. Most of the large phone carriers have already implemented STIR/SHAKEN technology into their networks, as their deadline of June 30, 2021 has already passed. Small carriers have until June 30, 2022 to meet the deadline.
Large carriers — which handle most of the call traffic — have been complying with STIR/SHAKEN requirements for nearly a year, so there is enough data to evaluate how successful STIR/SHAKEN has been so far.
Hiya has just released a report that takes a look at the successes and shortcomings of STIR/SHAKEN, and the unexpected consequences of the regulations. One of key findings in this report is that while STIR/SHAKEN seems to be helpful in identifying spam calls originating from mobile devices, it’s not doing as well with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls.
In fact, only 7% of VoIP calls are receiving the highest level of attestation, Level A, which means the carrier has verified the caller’s identity and authorized usage of the phone number. Only 4% of VoIP calls are receiving the middle level of attestation, Level B, in which the carrier can identify the location of the caller, but can’t verify if the user has the authorization to use the phone number. That leaves the majority of VoIP calls, 89%, with the lowest attestation level, Level C, which means the call can’t be authenticated. The carrier can only verify where the call was received, but can’t pinpoint the call’s origination location.
To discover the percentages for calls originating from mobile phones, and many other findings, download the report Is STIR/SHAKEN Preventing Scam Calls?
