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The FCC is publishing robocallers’ phone numbers so you can block them for good

Published Oct 23rd, 2015 8:00PM EDT
BGR

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Know what everyone hates? Robocalls. The Federal Communications Commission knows this which is why it’s creating tools that will hopefully help you block both robocallers and telemarketers for good. 

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The FCC announced this week that it will “release robocall and telemarketing consumer complaint data weekly to help developers build and improve ‘do-not-disturb’ technologies that allow consumers to block or filter unwanted calls and texts.” The data includes originating numbers from both telemarketers and robocallers, and it will be available on the FCC’s Consumer Help Center website.

The goal of the initiative is to give both carriers and third-party developers the tools they need to develop ways to help consumers block out unwanted phone calls. The FCC said it received over 215,000 complaints about unwanted phone calls last year, the highest number of complaints in any category by far. And with a presidential election looming next year, we can only imagine the robocall horrors that await us as the major political parties phone us up to tell us how the world will end if we don’t donate to their campaigns.

Anyone interested in seeing the FCC’s full data on robocallers can download a spreadsheet at this link.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.