Edit: I named the wrong F agency. It looks like the FCC might be a better option: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002234203-Unwanted-Calls-Texts-Phone
this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2024
127 points (96.4% liked)
Privacy
31876 readers
365 users here now
A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.
Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.
Some Rules
- Posting a link to a website containing tracking isn't great, if contents of the website are behind a paywall maybe copy them into the post
- Don't promote proprietary software
- Try to keep things on topic
- If you have a question, please try searching for previous discussions, maybe it has already been answered
- Reposts are fine, but should have at least a couple of weeks in between so that the post can reach a new audience
- Be nice :)
Related communities
Chat rooms
-
[Matrix/Element]Dead
much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
If you get an unwanted text message, there are three ways to report it:
Copy the message and forward it to 7726 (SPAM). This helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages in the future.
Report it on the messaging app you use. Look for the option to report junk or spam.
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
So they pass the buck to other people who don't care and don't even have the power to do anything about it. Then they give you a link to report fraud, which is an entirely different crime.
You’re right. See my edit.
Thanks. I'll do this.
This is a good idea, as it might eventually lead to policies or laws that would reduce the spam.
I wouldn't get my hopes up for resolution any time soon, though. Keep in mind that some of the biggest influence campaigns targeting US politics are run by foreign parties, and bulk text messages are cheap and consequence-free. Sadly, stopping it might require changing your phone number.
Political campaigns are exempted from most of those regulations. For example, the DNC list doesn't protect against them.
Unfortunately they respond to engagement.
PNW has a large snowbird population so AZ has been trying to get PNW Rs to switch their registration to AZ to help it be more reliably red.
Clearly the only way to be sure is to destroy Arizona.
Google messages has good spam filtering, but that requires you to use Google messages. Depends if you prefer Google or spam
Make complaints to your congressman's office. Those texts are illegal and should be reported.
Are you responding literally "stop" or are you editorializing like "please stop for the love of Satan"? The former is supposed to be seen by the system and you're supposed yo be automatically unsubscribed. The latter goes to a person and that person may try to engage you. At least, when I've done text-banking, that's how it worked. A less reputable system may try to engage you regardless. If you get sent to a person it's also up to the person to decide if and how they talk to you. If I saw something that made it clear the person didn't want to talk, I would tell the system to unsub them, others might try to be persistent.
That’s how it SHOULD work. But I’ve replied with just stop or unsubscribe depending on their chosen system’s keyword. I just received a nearly identical message from a different number. Maybe Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries were just determined at that time, but it definitely wasn’t handled the way it should have been.
I am getting the same crap from the Republicans. Don't get me wrong, I could care less regardless of party, but it's ridiculous.
In my case, since I moved to a VOIP service for voice and text, I just keep adding these to the blacklist, and don't hear from any of them again, but they do keep coming from other numbers.
I get emails for Wisconsin and Michigan politicians...
I live on the East Coast
Port your number to Google voice. Their spam blocking is great. That and/or get a Pixel. TBH I'm not exactly sure which one is blocking spam calls but I haven't gotten one in years. I only use Google voice for texting though, so that would have to be blocking spam texts.
all of the above.