If you’re like most people, you no longer answer your phone for random numbers that call you at random times. That’s because you’ve probably been the recipient of hundreds, if not thousands, of robocalls.
Aggressive cold calling techniques have been around for decades at this point, but with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, these calls became much more frequent and much more disruptive. On some level, it’s understandable why we all started receiving more spam calls in the past decade.
But given that it has been such a problem, and given that we have access to equally powerful technologies, why exactly is it that robocalls remain so common?
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
Although it doesn’t always feel like it, there are laws meant to shield consumers from robocalls and similar forms of harassment. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), backed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), explicitly prohibits robocalls to consumers without their express written consent. The definition of a robocall in this context is “an automated phone call that is made with autodialing technology,” which needs no human operation or intervention to succeed.
The FCC itself receives more than 150,000 complaints from consumers each month, who note their annoyance at the frequency of robocalls they receive.
Put simply, there are laws in this country that make robocalls illegal unless you’ve explicitly and purposely opted into receiving them. The dozen or so robocalls that you’re inevitably going to receive this week are, therefore, illegal.
Why Robocalls Persist
So why do robocalls still persist? And why do they persist at such high frequency and volume?
- Ease and accessibility of technology use. In recent years, we’ve seen an explosion in the total volume and frequency of robocalls. Instead of slowing down, things seem to be escalating. That’s partially because of the increasing ease and accessibility of the types of technologies that make robocalls possible. Almost anyone with a hint of motivation can get access to large-scale automation technology and place as many phone calls as they would like. With access to conversational AI and similar technologies, they can even replicate natural conversation.
- Distributed operations. Robocalls also remain a problem because of distributed operations. This isn’t a single person in a garage making phone calls all day, nor is it even a single developer overseeing a single campaign. Instead, robocalls are often executed by hundreds of actors using hundreds, if not thousands, of devices and phone numbers. Even if one source is shut down, there will be many sources to take its place in short order.
- Remote actors. The TCPA is an American law meant to protect Americans, but it can only reach so far. If an American robocalls another American, the law is easy to apply, but things aren’t as easy when you have remote actors in foreign countries that may or may not have respect for American law.
- Lack of meaningful enforcement. Creating and passing a law is one thing. Enforcing it is another. Quite understandably, law enforcement agencies typically have more pressing matters than trying to chase down people making robocalls all day. At best, the TCPA and similar regulations are enforced inconsistently. At worst, they aren’t enforced at all. This means there aren’t many legal deterrents in place to reasonably prevent people from pursuing robocalling.
What You Can Do
So is there anything that you can do about robocalls interfering with your own life?
- Avoid giving out your personal information. Although it’s possible for robocallers to dial random combinations of numbers, it’s more common for them to call based on lists of names and phone numbers that they get from other sources. Accordingly, if you avoid giving out your personal information whenever possible, you’ll drastically cut down on the number of robocallers who have your information.
- Optimize your phone settings. Your phone may have settings that allow you to block, filter, or at least limit robocalls you receive. Dive into your settings menu and see if you can make some adjustments to block or limit the types of calls you receive and how you receive them. At minimum, you can silence suspected spam calls.
- Delete and report junk. When you receive unwanted voicemails and text messages, delete them and report them as junk. Depending on the level of harassment you’re experiencing, it may also make sense to make a formal complaint with the FCC – or talk to a lawyer about the harassment you’re receiving.
- Do not answer or respond. Do your best not to answer or respond to robotic messages. Doing so could validate that your number is active and invite more robotic messages in the future.
Robocalls remain a problem, and they will likely remain a problem for the foreseeable future. However, there are measures you can take to reduce the frequency and annoyance of robocalls in your own life.
Emily Henry writes for UKWritings Reviews and Write My Research Paper. She writes articles on many subjects including writing great resumes. Emily is also an editor at State Of Writing.
