FCC chair proposes rule to prevent phone cramming

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski will propose an order aimed at reducing unauthorized fees on phone bills. Chairman Genachowski said that he will propose ways to make traditional phone bills clearer so consumers can better identify line items that they didn't authorize.

The practice, called cramming, affects an estimated 20 million land-line phone users a year, Genachowski said at a speech at the Center for American Progress. Chairman Genachowski did not offer many details on his proposed order, but said recently that he would issue an order for the agency to explore ways to bring down cramming complaints. The proposal follows a push to prevent “bill shock,” when cellphone users incur surprisingly higher data charges by exceeding their monthly Web access and texting allotment.