Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

FCC Calls On Phone Companies To Offer Free Robocall Blocking (fastcompany.com)

Posted by msmash on from the say-no-to-robocalls dept.

The FCC chairman on Friday pressed major U.S. phone companies to take immediate steps to develop technology that blocks unwanted automated calls available to consumers at no charge. Chairman Tom Wheeler, in letters to CEOs of Verizon Communications, AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular, Level 3 Communications, Frontier Communications, Bandwidth.com, and T-Mobile, said that so-called robocalls, automated pre-recorded telephone calls often from telemarketers or scam artists continue because the industry isn't taking any action. Wheeler demands answers with "concrete, actionable solutions to address these issues" within 30 days. A report on FastCompany adds: Wheeler also urged carriers to create a list of institutions like government agencies and banks that are commonly impersonated by scammers and filter out overseas callers impersonating them through falsified caller ID data

2 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. I'm sure they will fully comply by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They will offer free robocall blocking and the sudden and completely unrelated rate hike will be completely unrelated.

    1. Re:I'm sure they will fully comply by jonsmirl · · Score: 5, Informative

      Nomorobo actually works pretty well and it is already free on land lines. It has totally stopped Cardholder Services from call me. That spammer was driving me crazy having called me over 300 times. After about a hundred calls I started answering some of them and telling the operators what a disgusting company they work working for. Or I'd hit '1' and set the phone next to my radio. I heard that other people give them made up credit card info just to make them waste time. Even after paying a $1M FCC fine Cardholder Services is still calling my land line. https://www.nomorobo.com/

      Of now they have started calling my cell phone four or five times a week. And there is no free blocking.

      Apparently Nomorobo works by using the billing information in the call to block the call. The billing information can't be spoofed like the caller ID can be. End phones can't access the billing info so the call have to be blocked inside the network.