Insights

The Regulatory Front Lines of Voice Security with Wiley Rein, Wilkinson Barker Knauer and Somos

Nov 14, 2025

The 2025 Somos Summit brought together global thought leaders, industry experts and innovators to explore the intersection of Trust, Technology & Transformation. Held just outside Washington, D.C., this year’s event featured insightful sessions and meaningful conversations focused on advancing the telecom ecosystem and shaping the future of trusted communications.

During the session “From Policy to Protection: The Regulatory Front Line of Voice Security,” panelists turned to regulation to explore how federal agencies are tackling illegal robocalls, robotexts and spoofing to strengthen trust in communications. Moderated by Heather Hendrickson, Senior Director of Number Administration Strategy at Somos, the discussion featured two former federal regulators now in private practice: Ian Barlow, Of Counsel at Wiley Rein LLP and Dan Kahn, Partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP.

Ian Barlow opened with insights from his decade at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, where he led the Robocall and Do Not Call enforcement program. He described how the FTC identifies targets, coordinates with other agencies and litigates cases in federal court. Enforcement, he said, remains one of the FTC’s most powerful deterrents against deceptive telemarketers.

Recalling his role in developing the STIR/SHAKEN Caller ID authentication system and the Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD), Dan Kahn brought the FCC perspective. These measures, he explained, helped restore visibility and accountability across a fragmented telecom ecosystem. He added that removal from the RMD is effectively a “death sentence” for a provider – once delisted, its calls are blocked from reaching consumers.

Both panelists explored the challenge of international fraud. Dan described the new Federal Communication Commission (FCC)’s proposals requiring gateway providers to flag foreign-originated calls and tighten oversight of offshore call centers. Ian discussed the FTC’s “Project Pony,” an initiative that issues high-volume cease and desist letters to gateway providers to stop unlawful traffic before it enters U.S. networks.

The conversation also touched on the rise of Know Your Customer (KYC) practices. Dan noted that regulators are moving from broad “reasonableness” standards to documented, enforceable expectations, while Ian urged providers to verify client identities and maintain auditable compliance records.

Heather Hendrickson closed by highlighting the power of partnership between regulators and industry. Collaboration and transparency, she said, are the cornerstones of trust in a safer communications ecosystem.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Enforcement still matters: The FCC and FTC continue to target bad actors through litigation, tracebacks and cross-agency actions.

• KYC is critical: Strong verification and recordkeeping are becoming nonnegotiable for compliance.

• Collaboration drives progress: Industry data and feedback help regulators respond to threats in real-time.