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Let’s Destroy Robocalls

nytimes.com

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Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#51

Post by darksaints »

aarongray wrote: post #26

Lots of feel good ideas in the post, but no actual good ideas. Back when Congress created the Do Not Call Registry, and then forced law abiding companies to pay $10,000 for it, they pretty much just compiled an amazing list of active phone numbers that non-law abiding companies could acquire for a pretty good price and then sell them in batches to smaller companies that couldn't afford the full thing. Once virtual ph…

I have a really tough time comprehending why it is such a difficult problem to solve. The FCC could have solved it by now, independently of congressional legislation, considering the fact that they regulate the issuance of phone numbers. Those overseas companies still have to get their US phone numbers from an FCC regulated body.

What am I missing?

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#52

Post by hateful »

wnevets wrote: post #37

Google voice seems to do a great job filtering out the spam. I can't remember the last time I got one with my voice number.

Agreed. Ever since I moved my number to Google Voice, I was able to create an "Accept Calls" white list. It was even easier since my contacts were already in Google.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#53

Post by gist »

What an absolutely moronic way to make a point by taking a dig right off the top at the President by saying "Finally, something worse than Donald Trump".

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#54

Post by CedarMadness »

yingw787 wrote: post #36

Been experiencing robocalls too. I use Hiya, but it's not a complete solution. Now I just let every call I don't recognize go to voicemail unless they call twice. It really sucks for the elderly, the sick, and the otherwise vulnerable because they're more desperate to hear from a doctor or caretaker or somebody without saved contact information / less technically savvy or on a landline / otherwise more likely to fall…

I used to do what you do and let the call through if they call back. Sometime in the past year I've gotten on some autodialer list that will hit me up 6 times within a 30 second period if I reject the first call, so now I pretty much have to send anyone not in my address book straight to voicemail. It's not convenient, but at least I don't have to conduct a lot of business over the phone anymore.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#55

Post by DenisM »

orblivion wrote: post #34
aarongray wrote: post #26

Lots of feel good ideas in the post, but no actual good ideas. Back when Congress created the Do Not Call Registry, and then forced law abiding companies to pay $10,000 for it, they pretty much just compiled an amazing list of active phone numbers that non-law abiding companies could acquire for a pretty good price and then sell them in batches to smaller companies that couldn't afford the full thing. Once virtual ph…

Between this and email, I wonder if we need to start over with an opt-in system for contacts. I know that brings in a whole mountain of other problems. But maybe if we slowly adapted to that rather of the mountain of problems with our current blacklist (if that) approach, the outcome will be preferable.

There is a progression:

  - opt-in (just you)
  - referrals (some of your friends)
  - delegation (a business you trust to do screening)
  - reputation (some segment of society you care about)
  - free for all
I doubt you will want either extremes.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#56

Post by clhodapp »

guitarbill wrote: post #17
gonehome wrote: post #3

What confuses me about this is that Apple could solve this in two seconds by allowing contact whitelists where only incoming calls in your contacts are accepted and everything else is sent to voicemail or dropped. Is there a law against this or something? Nomorobo, Robokiller, Hiya all do an okay job as blacklisting applications but that seems like the wrong way to go about it. Some suggest using do not disturb to do…

You'd still miss out, like with the surgeon's example of a patient calling. It doesn't need a technological solution at all. In the UK and Germany, there were some calls, but it was rare, not even once a month. Do-not-call lists are enforced, and e.g. the ICO can fine directors of companies, not just the companies. Reporting nuisance calls can be done on a website, immediately. Then again, in the US, everything requi…

> Then again, in the US, everything requires a phone number, which is problem number 1, even having mail sent to my house. Why exactly?

So they have the option to SMS-spam you and resell your info (thus creating robocalls), of course. Even the coffee shop near my office wants me to register with them for a "rewards card" now. It's disgusting.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#57

Post by toast0 »

darksaints wrote: post #51
aarongray wrote: post #26

Lots of feel good ideas in the post, but no actual good ideas. Back when Congress created the Do Not Call Registry, and then forced law abiding companies to pay $10,000 for it, they pretty much just compiled an amazing list of active phone numbers that non-law abiding companies could acquire for a pretty good price and then sell them in batches to smaller companies that couldn't afford the full thing. Once virtual ph…

I have a really tough time comprehending why it is such a difficult problem to solve. The FCC could have solved it by now, independently of congressional legislation, considering the fact that they regulate the issuance of phone numbers. Those overseas companies still have to get their US phone numbers from an FCC regulated body. What am I missing?

Two things:

1) Most of the spam calls are spoofing numbers, so it doesn't really matter who issued the numbers.

2) Spam calls could come from overseas numbers instead, I've certainly gotten a few. I'd rather they come from US numbers, so at least when people call back, they're not paying an arm and a leg for the call if they don't realize the number is non-US.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#58

Post by gruez »

epriest wrote: post #14
gonehome wrote: post #3

What confuses me about this is that Apple could solve this in two seconds by allowing contact whitelists where only incoming calls in your contacts are accepted and everything else is sent to voicemail or dropped. Is there a law against this or something? Nomorobo, Robokiller, Hiya all do an okay job as blacklisting applications but that seems like the wrong way to go about it. Some suggest using do not disturb to do…

Here's how to actually "solve" this problem on an iPhone: - Pay $1.99 to buy a silent ringtone from the ringtone store. - Make that your default ringtone. - Give everyone who you want to be able to call you an audible ringtone.

>- Pay $1.99 to buy a silent ringtone from the ringtone store.

I would refuse to do that on principle.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#59

Post by Shivetya »

Just an observation, unless Congress includes political calls in this legislation then I am not truly impressed. They are no more welcome to call me than the knee brace lady is.

Just because I voted in an election; and why do they know which party/who I vote for; does not give them the right to call me. I don't care if they are in office or not.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#60

Post by walrus01 »

darksaints wrote: post #51
aarongray wrote: post #26

Lots of feel good ideas in the post, but no actual good ideas. Back when Congress created the Do Not Call Registry, and then forced law abiding companies to pay $10,000 for it, they pretty much just compiled an amazing list of active phone numbers that non-law abiding companies could acquire for a pretty good price and then sell them in batches to smaller companies that couldn't afford the full thing. Once virtual ph…

I have a really tough time comprehending why it is such a difficult problem to solve. The FCC could have solved it by now, independently of congressional legislation, considering the fact that they regulate the issuance of phone numbers. Those overseas companies still have to get their US phone numbers from an FCC regulated body. What am I missing?

The massive global installed base of ss7 phone system/pstn equipment nobody wants to pay to replace or upgrade. Most solutions to securing ss7 or authentication of call origin require new custom software extensions built on top of something that is mid 1980s technology.

SS7 is from an era when big phone companies all trusted each other and interconnected without any of the modern crypto or authentication built into a modern network.

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