(Bloomberg) -- Wireless phone providers would be required to block illegal text messaging under a proposal from the head of the Federal Communications Commission.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel asked colleagues to back a rule that would add to efforts to stop unwanted robocalls, the FCC said in a news release.

In 2020, the FCC received about 14,000 consumer complaints concerning unwanted text messages, representing an almost 146% increase from the number the year before, according to the news release.

“In a world where so many of us rely heavily on texting to stay connected with our friends and family, ensuring the integrity of this communication is vitally important,” Rosenworcel said.  “We’ve seen a rise in scammers trying to take advantage of our trust of text messages by sending bogus robotexts that try to trick consumers to share sensitive information or click on malicious links.”

In order to advance, the proposal by Rosenworcel, a Democrat, needs to succeed in a vote before the four-member commission that’s split 2-to-2 along partisan lines.

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