The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set out a range of proposed rules to prevent spam text messages, including an obligation for operators to block them at network level and the application of standards similar to caller ID.

At the regulator’s latest meeting, Commissioners voted to adopt the suggested measures with the matter now the subject of a public consultation.

Under the floated rules, which follow a similar crackdown on nuisance calls, mobile operators would be required to block texts purportedly from invalid, unallocated or unused numbers, along with any on the do-not-originate list.

The regulator is also seeking feedback on other measures it can take, including consumer education programmes.

Spam texts, which it refers to as robotexts, have been identified by the agency as a growing threat.

The FCC noted it received 15,300 complaints about unwanted texts in 2021 compared with 14,000 in 2020.

By end-June, the figure already stood at 8,500.

“Recently, scam text messaging has become a growing threat to consumers’ wallets and privacy,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel (pictured) added.

“More can be done to address this growing problem and today we are formally starting an effort to take a serious, comprehensive and fresh look at our policies for fighting unwanted robotexts.”