The Monitoring Association (TMA) seeks to hear from security alarm and monitoring service providers who have experienced call blocking in order to present information to the FCC. Those with information are asked to contact TMA Executive Director Celia T. Besore by email at cbesore@tma.us on or before Feb. 12. 

The FCC is seeking comment on any call blocking issues experienced by consumers, including central station alarm companies, in connection with the implementation and effectiveness of carrier opt-in and opt-out call blocking services. The FCC clarified in 2019 that carriers may block calls to consumers based on analytics, without the customer's up-front consent, as long as customers can opt-out of such blocking. We are aware that a number of carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, are providing opt-out and/or opt-in call blocking to their customers and in some cases, calls from a central station have been blocked or mislabeled as fraud. 

TMA seeks to provide information to the FCC concerning any issues alarm companies have experienced in connection with call blocking with the goal of ensuring that calls from central stations responding to an alarm are not blocked or mislabeled.