FCC to phone companies: You can stop unwanted robocalls
Source: AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tired of automated phone calls urging you to vote for a certain candidate or pitching you a cruise vacation? You can now tell your phone company that federal regulators say it's OK to block them.
The question now is whether the phone companies have the technology to do it in a way consumers want.
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday agreed that Verizon, AT&T and other telecommunication carriers aren't duty-bound to connect those annoying "robocalls" if a consumer doesn't want them. Consumer groups and several states had asked the agency to clarify this point because phone companies have said they worried about running afoul of rules that require them to connect every call.
FCC commissioners mostly agreed that call blocking technology or "do not disturb" services should not only be allowed but encouraged.
FULL story at link.
In this photo taken March 17, 2015, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Tired of automated phone calls urging you to vote for a certain candidate or pitching a cruise vacation? You can now tell your phone company that federal regulators say it’s OK to block them. The FCC on Thursday agreed that Verizon, AT&T and other telecommunication carriers aren’t duty-bound to connect those annoying “robocalls” if a consumer doesn’t want them. Consumer groups and several states had asked the federal regulator to clarify this point because phone companies have said they worry about running afoul of rules that require them to connect every call. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/22cbc50cc2d34045a0417561a7a9c9f4/fcc-phone-companies-you-can-stop-unwanted-robocalls
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