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Robocall 'strike force' sets out to end unwanted calls
The Federal Communications Commission is just as fed up with robocalls as you are. After opening the door for telecoms to offer robocall blocking services last year, and urging those companies to make them available for free last month, members of the FCC convened a meeting of the Robocall Strike Force this morning to figure out what should happen next. (And yes, that's really what it's called.)
FCC will publish telemarketer phone numbers to help you block them
The Federal Communications Commission has said that protecting consumer privacy is one of its biggest priorities, and its latest actions prove just that. The communications bureau is going to publish the phone numbers of telemarketers on a weekly basis in an effort to help you preemptively block those annoying calls saying you've won a cruise or some other outlandish claim that might require forking over your credit card info. The idea here is that by releasing these regularly and opening up the data, it'll help software developers build automated apps and the like for heading the calls off before they happen, and improve tech that already exists. This is a natural extension of June's ruling regarding carriers blocking spam numbers, and the FCC says it's still working on a way to extend that to landlines. Want a peek at the first sets of digits? The Verge found the first list. [Image credit: Getty Images]
FTC names its $25,000 counter-robocall contest winner
Despite being banned by the Federal Trade Commission, prerecorded robocalls are still a common hassle for Americans. That could soon change now that the FTC has announced the winner of its $25,000 Robocalls: Humanity Strikes Back contest. The winning team of Ethan Garr and Bryan Moyles developed a mobile app called Robokiller that works a lot like your email's spam folder.
TWC robo-calls customer 153 times, now owes her $229,500
Reuters reports that Time Warner Cable has been slapped with a hefty ($229,500) fine after hammering one of its own customers, Araceli King of Irving, Texas, with robo-calls. The cable company reportedly autodialed her 153 times in less than a year. The kicker: they weren't even looking for her -- TWC was actually looking for the guy that originally owned the phone number. But even after repeatedly pleading with the company and a seven minute discussion with a TWC rep in which she made it clear that she wasn't Luiz Perez (the number's original owner), she kept receiving calls. The harassment was so consistent and extensive that the company continued calling her -- an astounding 74 times -- after she instigated her lawsuit in March 2014.
PayPal explains when it will hit you with robocalls
When PayPal updated its user agreement with language suggesting that it had broad powers to make automated calls (aka robocalls) and texts, customers were understandably nervous. Was the company going to spam you until you bought more stuff using its online wallet? Well, you can relax. PayPal is tweaking the agreement once again to make it clear just when it will (and more importantly, won't) send a recorded message your way. The only times the firm will robocall is when it needs to collect debt, warn you about shady activity or tackle fraud cases. You won't deal with marketing spiels unless you give explicit consent, and you can revoke that permission at any point.
FCC: Telcos can block robocalls and spam texts for you
The Federal Communications Commission has just made it clear that customers can ask carriers to block illegal robocalls and spam messages for them -- and that telcos can legally do so. In a 3-2 vote, the commission has passed a proposal that makes it perfectly legal to stop automated calls before they reach consumers. Some phone companies apparently tell subscribers and industry watchdogs that they can't do anything about the problem, because they're required to connect every call. With the new rules in place, they can't use that as a reason anymore, but it's still up to them whether or not to fulfill a customer's request. They're not actually obligated to put a stop to automated calls whenever someone asks them, (and we'll bet a lot of people will, because nobody likes getting them) even if the technology already exists for wireless carriers.
Facebook wants to replace your Android phone's dialer
Facebook isn't done trying to replace your Android phone's software just because Home fizzled out. Android Police tipsters have spotted the social network testing a dialer app that would not only show more info about who's calling, but stop calls from "commonly blocked numbers." In theory, this would prevent telemarketers and technical support scams from getting through even when you don't recognize their digits. It's not clear if or when this dialer will ever see the light of day -- these kinds of tests happen all the time. If it launches, though, it could be one of the few standalone Facebook apps that you actually want to use.
FTC offers a $25,000 prize if you can trap robocallers
Yep, the Federal Trade Commission still hates robocalls as much as you do. The agency has launched a contest where you'll get a $25,000 top prize if you develop technology that sends illegal automated telemarketing to a honeypot system, which makes it easier to study calls and catch perpetrators. You have up until the evening of June 15th to qualify your bot trap, and the winner will be decided at a Def Con showdown on August 9th. The payout certainly isn't large, but think of this as doing the country a favor -- you may save millions from listening to Rachel from card services over and over again. [Image credit: SarahNW, Flickr]
FTC reveals $50,000 Robocall Challenge winners, alarms Rachel from card services (video)
The FTC has managed to find two non-violent solutions to its Robocall Challenge, aimed at blocking auto-dialing telemarketers, thanks to winners Serdar Danis and Aaron Foss. The pair, who will receive $25,000 each, came up with variations on a system that would pre-screen calls before ringing your phone while allowing the FTC to blacklist known scammers at the same time. Google took a non-cash prize in a separate category with a scheme that would foil caller-ID spoofing often used by boiler rooms like the notorious "Rachel from card services" outfit, which has over a hundred numeric aliases. The FTC receives a whopping 200,000 complaints per month about the nuisance and screened nearly 800 submissions (see the More Coverage link), many of which show a certain, shall we say, passion for the topic. Check winner Foss' video submission after the break.
FTC offers $50,000 prize for stopping illegal robocalls, we could have used this a few months ago
Robocalling is considered a plague in the modern phone world, especially during an election year -- and while you likely won't get rid of all the pitches from political candidates anytime soon, most of the commercial calls are outright illegal. The Federal Trade Commission has devised a unique contest to help cut back on those law-breakers without having to chase down every shady debt relief offer. It's offering a $50,000 reward for the cleverest solution to blocking the banned variety of robocalls. The only requirement is that you be an adult US resident: if you can invent a surefire remedy in your basement, the FTC wants to hear from you. Entries will be open between October 25th and January 17th, with word of a winner around April 1st. We're hoping that the champion has a truly effective cure in use before long, because we'll undoubtedly have reached our breaking point on robocalls by... oh, around November 6th. [Image credit: SarahNW, Flickr]
TrueCall shall fight telemarketers on the beaches, landing grounds, etc
Telemarketers-turned-inventors from the United Kingdom have started shipping TrueCall (£99.99), a device that acts as an automated secretary on your land line, either forwarding trusted numbers to your phone or answering untrusted numbers with an automated message and shooing them away. When an unrecognized number dials in, TrueCall asks them who they are and then rings you asking whether or not you want to take it. Sure, it's not the most fun way to automatically ditch unscrupulous callers, but we'd like to listen in on the conversation when a robocall reaches this baby -- it'd be like one wall talking to another wall.[Via Slashdot]
