KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee attorney general is making moves to fight back against illegal robocalls. AG Herbert Slatery is urging the Federal Communications Commission to fight against robocalls by moving up the deadline for smaller telephone companies to implement caller ID technology.

“Tennesseans don’t care whether a phone company is large or small. We’ve had enough with the daily, if not hourly, disruption from harmful, illegal robocalls,” said General Slatery.

According to a release from Slattery’s office, under the TRACED Act, which became law in 2019, phone companies are required to put in place tech on their networks making sure calls are coming from verified numbers. Large companies were required to do this by June 2021, but smaller companies received an extension until June 2023.

According to the release, some of the same smaller phone companies are benefitting from the extension are responsible for the high volumes of illegal robocalls that spam Americans and can lead to financial or personal data loss. It goes on to say that without the technology in place, these smaller companies are failing to take needed steps to minimize illegal robocalls.

Slatery is part of a coalition of attorneys general from all 50 states and DC who are asking the FCC to require these companies to implement the technology as soon as possible and no later than June 30, 2022.