Key Takeaways:
- Canada has implemented new technology to combat spam calls, but will it be effective?
- The CRTC announced that telecommunications service providers will now be required to use the new STIR/SHAKEN technology to flag spam calls.
STIR/SHAKEN indicates whether an internet call, also known as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, is from a trusted source.
VoIP calls have been known to trick caller ID into identifying the caller as legitimate, such as from a government agency. This is related to as caller ID spoofing.
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When users receive a call, they should now tell whether it is fraudulent or not. But, according to the CRTC, how that information is communicated may differ between service providers. “This new caller ID technology will enable Canadians to determine which calls are legitimate and worth answering, and which should be avoided,” CRTC CEO Ian Scott said in a statement.
“As more service providers upgrade their networks, STIR/SHAKEN will undoubtedly reduce spoofing and provide Canadians with peace of mind when answering phone calls.”
The technology was supposed to be implemented in 2019, but it has been postponed. According to Shruti Shekar, senior reporter at tech website Android Central, while many Canadians have probably received a spam call, some of them can be dangerous.
“These automated phone calls threats individuals,” Shekar explained.
For example, the caller may declare to be from the CRA and owe money. According to Shekar, victims are frequently new immigrants to Canada who are unaware the calls are fake and don’t want their hard work getting into the country to be ruined, so they pay up.
“A lot of people are fearful.” According to the CRTC, STIR/SHAKEN works by digitally validating the handoff between VoIP calls and a “web of networks.”
“This allows the consumer receiving the call’s phone company to confirm that the call is coming from a legitimate source. The called party can then make a notified decision about whether or not to respond to an unconfirmed call.”
Some calls will not be verifiable due to device and network compatibility, as well as calls that are not made entirely over the internet, according to the CRTC.
Source: Global News
