FCC Cracks Down on Robocalls

Cara_Latham writes "If you want to receive annoying robocalls from telemarketers you will have to opt in. Federal Communications Commission rules now require that telemarketers get your consent before dialing your number. Telemarketers will also have to obtain consent even if they had previously 'done business with' the consumer on the receiving end of a call."

Re:Text messaging

[ackthpt]

Can we add text messages to this please?

I'm tired of paying per-message to receive spam.

I too and sick of my mobile going off to inform me I won a prize or am approved for a loan or some other BS. Do keep in mind these scumbags aren't the sort who will honor any legislation or directive. Mobile carriers should be enabling a crowd-based blocking feature - enough people report a number as robo-calling or scamming and it can be blocked by an opt-in program. (Yeah, too intelligent, hasn't got a chance, but I can dream)

Re:Text messaging

[BenFenner]

I wouls say you could simply disable text messages (entirely!) at the provider level.
But then you get this shit in the mail:

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/132464/1542/873030.jpg [supercars.net]



That's right dick-heads. I disabled text messages. All of them. Even the ones from you. It took me three months of calling, but I finally did it. You think I want your spam mail in my mail box?!

Re:Link to WSJ and not FCC? Follow-up

[bmo]

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/unwanted-telephone-marketing-calls [fcc.gov]

For those who could not be arsed to click the link in the preceding page.

It explains everything without having to look up the law itself.

--
BMO

Re:change of heart?

[jamstar7]

I do collections for a living. You'd be surprised at how many people start screaming how they're gonna sue me because they're on the Do Not Call list. News flash, kids. Collection calls are NOT covered by the national DNC list.

Re:Text messaging

[Dynedain]

I'd love to display text messaging entirely (and have in the past) but people who legitimately try to text me don't get a notification that I have it blocked. Their messages just disappear into the ether.

And I've seen several account verification systems (banks and the like) that require text messages as a out-of-band response channel.

Re:What about Slashdot comments?

[Majik Sheff]

The reply number is a $10.00/month "subscription" a la Jamster, but without the annoying ringtones. Good luck getting your cell carrier to give 2 shits about removing the fraudulent charges.

Canada?

[Dorduan]

Assuming that this is implemented properly in US, does this cover people like me in Canada who are called by telemarketers from US?

Re:Text messaging

[Anonymous Coward]

Why isn't there a setting to just allow texts from numbers in the address book?

They should just outlaw autodialers completly

[jonwil]

They should just make it illegal to use any machine that dials people and plays a recorded message. Anyone wants to reach you (including non-profit organizations, charities, survey organizations, political parties etc), they can employ a bunch of people to ring numbers manually (even if what came down the phone at the other end was a pre-recorded message, if they had to dial the number manually it would be enough to discourage this practice due to the cost of hiring staff to dial)

auto-dialers are one of those inventions the world would be better off without (like the technology Hollywood uses to turn 2D films into crappy-looking near-unwatchable 3D films)

Re:Text messaging

[D'Sphitz]

It's not nearly as common in the U.S. as the comments here would seem to indicate. I wouldn't draw any conclusions about the U.S. from slashdot comment, I've never encountered a single person who didn't have at least some messaging included in their plan. The sans-messaging-planners are similar to the anti-tv-crusaders, they are virtually non-existent in the real world, but they await around every corner on slashdot, eager to tell you all about how great it is to not own a television or have text messaging or a facebook account or anything popular at all because popular things suck.