How many spam calls do you get on an average day? For me it’s about 15. Luckily, AT&T has implemented the “STIR/SHAKEN” protocol and also keeps its own registry of telemarketers. So, probably 13 or so are properly labeled as Spam Risks and I can ignore them.
My numbers have been on the Do Not Call list since 2003 or so. If you aren’t already on it, it’s free and you can do it here. The federal Do Not Call Registry was supposed to end spam calls, and obviously it didn’t. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the few minutes it takes to register your number.
Why didn’t the Do Not Call Registry stop spam calls?
The world has changed a lot since 2003. The biggest change that affects spam calls is internet telephony. When the Do Not Call Registry was first started, call centers were largely local. Now, practically all phone traffic is routed through the internet and practically all calls are free to make. This means that call centers can go overseas where the United States Federal Trade Commission can’t reach them. So, these operations can do whatever they want and there’s very little anyone can do about it.
Some calls are actually legal
People get frustrated because they get a lot of spam calls and robocalls, not realizing that in some cases it’s legal to make these calls. The difference is “solicited” vs. “unsolicited” calls.
Solicited calls
If you do business with a company, then they have the right to call you. They even have the right to robocall you. If you haven’t done business with them for 18 months, they lose that right. The problem here is that the rules are pretty loose.
If you do business with a company that’s part of a trade association, like the National Association of Home Builders, they will try to tell you that any NAHB affiliate can call you. That’s technically not true but there isn’t any real enforcement in that grey area.
Exceptions and allowed calls
You’re allowed to receive calls from any group you belong to. That means registered voters can get any sort of call from any sort of politician. Charities and non-profits can legally cold-call you, although paid telemarketers aren’t allowed to call you if you’re on the Do Not Call Registry. Finally, survey companies are allowed to call you if they’re not selling anything.
Any hope for fixing spam calls?
The STIR/SHAKEN rules have been the most effective way to stop this sort of call. These rules require carriers to prove that the call coming in matches the phone number they say they are calling from. If this can’t be proven, they mark the call as spam. All major US carriers have put STIR/SHAKEN into place and the FCC is forcing smaller carriers to do the same.
Still, a whole generation has grown up with cell phones and most don’t use them to make or take calls. Like e-mail, the landscape for voice calls is so battered by spam that people simply choose not to use it. That could change if we got rid of all spams. Google and Microsoft have done a pretty good job cleaning up spam e-mails, and e-mail remains a staple for people at work. But people don’t use it like they used to; they use text or other apps instead.
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