shakenstir
Latest
AT&T and T-Mobile will now verify phone calls between their networks
AT&T and T-Mobile have started rolling out cross-network call authentication services for their subscribers. That means the companies will now be able notify their customers if the call they're getting from the other carrier truly is from the number shown on screen or if it's a spoofed robocall. Spam calls are a growing problem in the US today, with customers in the country getting inundated with 48 billion robocalls last year. Call verification won't eradicate the issue, but it'll give subscribers the choice not to answer potentially illegal calls, which could be scams or attempts to steal their identity.
FCC proposes blocking robocalls by default
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been fighting robocalls for years, but as anyone with a cell phone can tell you, they're still getting through. Now, the Commission wants to make it legal for phone companies to block unwanted robocalls by default. Chairman Ajit Pai has circulated a declaratory ruling that, if adopted, would give carriers permission to develop new call blocking tools. The ruling could also allow consumers to prohibit calls from numbers that aren't on their contact lists.
AT&T and Comcast test 'verified' phone calls to fight spam
Robocalls have gotten so bad that competitors AT&T and Comcast are teaming up to tackle the problem together. Their plan is to "authenticate and verify" calls. In other words, they'll let you know when an incoming call is really from the number listed on the caller ID and not a computer-generated call showing a fake number. This won't stop the unsolicited calls, but you might be more willing to answer a verified number.
