Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency, known as Anatel, has extended the deadline for measures allowing the blocking of unwanted telemarketing calls [1].
This extension is critical for protecting consumers from fraudulent activity and abusive marketing. By delaying the requirement, the regulator aims to ensure that telecommunications providers have the necessary infrastructure to effectively identify and stop spoofing, a technique where callers disguise their identity to deceive recipients.
Anatel set the new deadline for Dec. 31, 2025 [1]. This date replaces a previous requirement that some sources listed as Nov. 15, 2025 [3]. The agency said the move is intended to ensure all operators are capable of implementing the STIR/SHAKEN protocol, a technical standard used to authenticate caller ID information.
"A Anatel decidiu prorrogar o prazo para a adoção da medida de bloqueio até 31 de dezembro de 2025, a fim de garantir que todas as operadoras estejam aptas a implementar o protocolo STIR/SHAKEN," an Anatel spokesperson said [1].
The requirements specifically target high-volume callers. Companies that make more than 500,000 calls per month [2] are required to adopt these authentication systems. This threshold ensures that the largest sources of telemarketing traffic are the first to be regulated.
Carlos Silva, a telecommunications security specialist, said the extension is essential for operators to adapt their infrastructure. He said this is necessary to provide consumers with an effective mechanism against spoofing and abusive telemarketing [2].
Major operators, including Vivo, Claro, and TIM, must now align their systems with these updated rules to prevent the temporary blocking of their services while maintaining a secure environment for the end user [1].
“The agency said the move is intended to ensure all operators are capable of implementing the STIR/SHAKEN protocol.”
The extension reflects a technical gap between regulatory ambition and infrastructure reality. While Anatel wants to curb the epidemic of spoofing and abusive calls, the STIR/SHAKEN protocol requires significant network upgrades. By pushing the deadline to the end of 2025, the agency is prioritizing the technical viability of the rollout over immediate enforcement, acknowledging that a premature mandate could lead to systemic failures in call authentication.
