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Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

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Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#241

Post by elboru »

martingordon wrote: post #232

Bouncer ( https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bouncer-text-messages-blocker/... / https://github.com/afterxleep/Bouncer ) is a free and open source SMS filtering app that has saved my sanity over the past couple of years. You need to manually set up filters, but once you do, the amount of political spam drops to 0. It uses iOS’s SMS Filtering framework, which does the filtering in a privacy-preserving way: https://develope…

> For privacy reasons, the system handles all communication with your associated server; your Message Filter app extension can’t access the network directly.

Thanks for the documentation link, I was uneasy about using this type of extension.

Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#242

Post by nirav72 »

I do both STOP and also report it as Junk in IOS. It has had some success. At least I've been getting lot less election related texts. Use to be that I got 6-8 messages a day from either Presidential candidate or both or down ballot local elections. Now its down to maybe couple of texts a week. Even those look like they're related to PACs and not directly from the campaigns of the candidates. However, I still get the scammer related spam.

Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#244

Post by aqfamnzc »

mathw wrote: post #165
JTyQZSnP3cQGa8B wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely not France. The STOP message is ignored. They also created a global “block” list that you can subscribe to. This list is handled by an advertising company…

French mobile networks are having a bit of a clampdown at the moment. My employer sends SMS to France and they've been absolutely on the warpath if they think you're not respecting STOP and CONTACT messages.

What is CONTACT?

Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#245

Post by jghn »

joshstrange wrote: post #216

I often use the “Report junk” button on iOS but after spending years being bombarded with political SMS messages that I didn’t sign up for (always addressed me by the wrong name, and I’ve had my number for well over 20 years) I finally got relief. I found out which provider was sending the SMS and contact their abuse line (I would reply STOP but they would just send from a different phone number) and got the name of…

For political spam I have a rule that I refuse to vote for any candidate who directly or indirectly sends me a text asking for their vote. If everyone did that, perhaps fewer politicians would go this route.

Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#246

Post by coleca »

lukan wrote: post #93
mikesabat wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking mostly for the US here. The STOP keyword is mandated as unsubscribe at the carrier level (Verizon, ATT, TMo) not just the vendor level. So if you reply STOP, it's very likely that you will not receive another message from that number. This will be true for any programmatic SMS vendor. There could be smaller scale & more manual approaches, but that would be rare. There has been a big effort in the last year+…

"What I want to know is, what's the purpose of those random texts that just say something like, "How's it been?" from a number that I've never communicated with? What's the angle there? Anyone know?" Some people are seriously lonely - eager to pick up any chance of real interaction. And those scams prey on that. On telegram those spam usually comes together with a profile picture of a pretty women. With text only, it…

Look up "pig butchering" (seriously). That is what those texts are all about. John Oliver did a whole segment on his show about it this summer.

TL;DR they are scams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPpl2ISKTg

Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#247

Post by redserk »

sharpshadow wrote: post #169
redserk wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actblue requires a phone number and email address. As far as I know, physically mailing a check is the best way to avoid sharing information as you only need to provide your name, address, and employer. This information is the only federally required information.

What would happen if you type in a pseudo email and number? What would happen if you type in a number of somebody else?

I don’t know. What’s weird is that I think it is up to the campaign to make sure they have valid contact information. So I suppose there is a risk that the campaign might get dinged?

Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#248

Post by nilamo »

JohnFen wrote: post #207
chias wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> technically doesn't need one for texts because it's illegal to send marketing texts It is unfortunately seemingly not illegal to send me political beg-texts multiple times per day, though.

The law specifically exempts such texts from being covered, sadly.

Proof laws don't work.

Re: Ask HN: Should you reply STOP to unwanted texts?

#250

Post by yborg »

jbaber wrote: post #148
jeremyjh wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its true in the US; its mandated by law that they comply.

Wait. Really? I had no idea this is true. You're saying there's a US law that means replying STOP is intercepted by verizon/T-mobile/etc. and the sender never has to see it?

This is not correct, I've worked with an app that had to handle SMS opt-out and we received the STOP message.
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