This formal agreement will allow both organizations to work more collaboratively on the growing threat that unwanted robocalls (also known as automated dialing-announcing device calls) pose to citizens in Canada and the United States.

Furthermore, this agreement will enable the CRTC and the FCC to facilitate research and education related to robocalls and illegitimate caller ID spoofing. The organizations have also committed to sharing knowledge and expertise through training programs and staff exchanges, as well as inform each other of legal developments in their respective jurisdictions.

• The agreement was signed by Steven Harroun, the CRTC’s Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer, and Travis LeBlanc, Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau.
• The agreement further solidifies the CRTC and FCC’s commitment to mutual cooperation and assistance for the purpose of enforcing Canadian and American unsolicited telecommunications laws.
• In June 2024, the CRTC signed a memorandum of understanding with 10 international enforcement agencies to fight unlawful spam and unsolicited telecommunications.
• The CRTC and Federal Trade Commission signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2024 relating to unsolicited telecommunications, unsolicited commercial electronic messages (spam) and other unlawful electronic threats.
• The FCC and CRTC are active participants of UCENet, a network of international spam and unsolicited communications enforcement agencies dedicated to facilitating and supporting cross border investigations.

The CRTC  also recently enlisted telephone companies to help block unsolicited and illegitimate calls to their customers, giving them about three months to develop technical solutions to block nuisance calls.