A week after the Senate Special Committee on Aging warned telemarketing robocalls were victimizing seniors, the Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to give consumers more abilities to stop the practice for their cellphones and landlines.

The agency is letting telephone companies provide robocall blocking services to the public and consumers buy blocking hardware and software from other companies.

The FCC’s actions also eliminates fears by the telephone service providers they could be sued for blocking calls.

Robo text messages can be blocked as well as robo voice calls.

The Senate Aging Committee heard testimony last week that seniors were particularly vulnerable to robocalls because many were lonely and happy to talk to anyone.

The new rules do allow financial institutions to warn customers via robocalls about data breaches or suspected credit card fraud without their consent. There is also an exemption for medically urgent information from health-care providers.

A coalition of groups from Consumers Union to the National Consumer Law Center said the action prevents a tsunami of unwanted telemarketing robocalls.