Carr says overseas call centers pose ‘security issue’
– FCC Chairman Brendan Carr argues that overseas call centers pose national security risks because workers abroad can be coerced by bad actors to access customers’ accounts.
– He proposed policies to bring call-center jobs back to the United States, impose an English-proficiency standard for all customer-service agents, and crack down on illegal robocalls from abroad.
– Carr’s remarks, given at a breitbart policy event, frame these ideas as part of ongoing FCC efforts to address language barriers and security concerns in call-center operations.
– The push aligns with Charter Communications’ merger commitments with Cox Communications to onshore call centers, a move the FCC has weighed in on as part of its approval process (though the merger still awaits other approvals in some jurisdictions).
– The FCC is scheduled to vote on these proposals at its open commission meeting on march 26, with a public-comment period to follow before a final vote to adopt the rules.
Carr says overseas call centers pose ‘security issue’ as part of FCC proposal list
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr made his case on Tuesday that overseas call centers pose potential national security risks because they may be compromised by foreign actors.
Last week, the Trump-appointed official proposed that the FCC bring call center jobs back to the United States, require an English proficiency standard for all customer service agents, and crack down on illegal robocalls from abroad.
Carr’s latest remarks are in furtherance of those proposals.
“We often have instances where workers at these foreign call centers, because they get paid so little, they get flipped by bad actors to access your account, to change your account,” he said at a Breitbart policy event on Tuesday. “So we think there’s a security issue with having so many call centers overseas, and so we think it makes sense to tell people it’s time to bring these jobs home.”
Carr explained that because many Americans have felt frustrated by foreign call centers over the years, the FCC is moving to break down the language or communication barriers that may arise during a caller’s interactions with a customer service agent who may not speak fluent English.
“It’s just difficult to resolve your problem,” he added. “And so we have started a proceeding to look at encouraging the onshoring of call centers. For call centers that remain abroad, we’re looking at imposing standard English proficiency requirements to try to make that communication easier.”
As part of its merger agreement with Cox Communications, Charter Communications pledged to onshore call centers as it sought FCC approval. The $34.5 billion merger was approved last month, creating the nation’s largest cable provider with over 38 million subscribers.
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“It’s a good win for customers, and it’s a good win for the country,” Carr said of the deal, which still needs approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
The FCC is set to vote on the aforementioned proposals and more on March 26 during its scheduled open commission meeting. After the public comment period on the passed policies begins, the FCC will then take another vote to adopt them.
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