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Arkansas law stiffens criminal penalties for spoofing, robocalls

State Issues State Legislation Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security Robocalls State Attorney General

State Issues

On April 4, the Arkansas governor signed SB 514, which establishes a process for state regulation of telecommunications service providers and third-party spoofing providers, and stiffens criminal penalties for persons who engage in illegal robocalling and spoofing practices. The act reclassifies “spoofing”—defined in the act as “displaying fictitious or misleading names or telephone numbers—and illegal robocalls as Class D felonies. Arkansas law previously classified these actions as misdemeanors. The act requires telecommunications providers to report, on an annual basis, to the Arkansas Public Service Commission, implemented measures for identifying and combating the illegal calls.

The Arkansas Attorney General issued a press release in which she noted that the legislation “reinforces how determined Arkansans are to stop these illegal calls and creates a path for enforcement to hold the bad actors accountable.” The act takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the legislature.