AT&T today announced Call Protect, a complimentary service aimed at protecting its users from automated phone calls, also referred to as robocalls. The service debuts five months after the U.S. Federal Communications asked wireless companies to offer free robocall blocking services.
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The service offers two solutions to stop robocalls. It can automatically block numbers suspected of fraud at the network level, preventing them from reaching your phone entirely, or it can deliver the call from a suspected number with a fraud warning on the display. The latter feature requires the user to be in an area with HD Voice support.
AT&T customers can activate the feature via their MyAT&T account or by downloading the AT&T Call Protect app. The app allows users to look at call details, receive spam warnings, block specific numbers and turn on and off Automatic Fraud Blocking.
The service requires an iOS or Android smartphone eligible for HD Voice. AT&T also warns that automatic blocking may block wanted phone calls, which means users would potentially have to manually whitelist certain numbers to make sure they aren't blocked.
In August, it was reported that Apple was one of over 30 companies that joined the "Robocall Strike Force," a join effort aimed at stopping robocalls. At the time, the FCC said that most of the complaints it receives are regarding robocalls. The U.S. has other measures in place to prevent robocalls, including companies having to ask permission before calling and allowing people to add their number to the FTC's Do Not Call list.
AT&T Call Protect is available on the App Store for free [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
*waits to see how long before someone realizes this app somehow compromises customer privacy in some major unforeseen way for profit*
Oh right, we get those here too, but very few and far between. The UK has tight rules on spam calls anyway.
We allegedly have laws against it over here as well but they do nothing and it only seems to be getting worse.e.g. the Telephone Preference Service, TPS for short, one can sign up to, to block most of these, and non compliance by companies will get them fined large amounts. Still get bioler room teams working abroad trying call dumb people into buying worthless shares, with some also doing robo openers, or dialling 10 numbers at once, cutting 9 off when the first is answered by someone receiving them.
Still rare though, unless you get on lots if spammers lists by actually engaging with previous ones – always just immediately hang up, never talk to them ever, helps stop this!
I know there are free applications to assist in deflecting these calls, but carriers should implement something to throttle robo calls, as ceasing scam calls will likely never be fully successful, as they will find another way to manipulate the caller.
AT&T today announced ('http://about.att.com/story/att_call_protect.html') Call Protect ('https://www.att.com/offers/call-protect.html?partner=LinkShare&siteId=TnL5HPStwNw-N7eSEsM0Nrxe.lTgD5F_wg'), a complementary service