4 ms·

I think this is a valid question--not sure why people want to bury this post, because I'm interested to hear this out. I think it's the same argument and laws

I think this is a valid question--not sure why people want to bury this post, because I'm interested to hear this out. I think it's the same argument and laws that apply against emails. Some say that it's equally "first amendment" to block emails and phone calls. (IANAL) [0] [0] http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/spam http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/spam

jasode 10y ago
Based on the type of companies participating with FCC (e.g. Google and Apple), my guess is that the technology will be a blacklist/whitelist "trust/reputation" database similar to web certificates. With such a database in place, smartphones like iPhone/Android will have updated software that can optionally screen the call's caller-id reputation. (Analogous to a web browser url bar have a "padlock" or blocking https pages from loading at all with bad certificates.) (If the above implementation is accurate, it means blocking robocalls will be feasible on smartphones but not legacy analog land line phones.) It wouldn't be a First Amendment issue because the owners of the phones can opt into blocking robotelemarketing callers. Same concept as AdBlock or putting "127.0.0.1 ads.doubleclick.net" in your HOSTS. If modifying your HOSTS file or adding a email routing rule is GMail/MSOutlook to redirect mail to a trash folder is violating someone elses First Amendment rights, it's not an argument I've ever seen presented.
- ocdtrekkie 10y ago
  Note that "Google and Apple" aren't representative of the types of companies here, the media just obsesses about them. There are 33 companies in all. Mostly telecoms.
  - jasode 10y ago
    The "Robocall Strike Force" also includes smartphone manufacturers such as Ericsson, LG, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung so it would be misleading to think it's just 2 Silicon Valley technology companies and 31 telecoms. From the article, it looks like intelligence about VOIP is part of the potential solution. https://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2016/08/us-carriers-join-apple-google-33-member-robocall-strike-force https://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2016/08/us-carriers-join-a...
- jasonjei 10y ago
  That's the argument I was making above--that being able to block emails and phone numbers is just as expressive as making phone calls and emails. Same thing with hosts file and ad blocking; people are guaranteed the right to privacy and not having to listen to other's speech is also freedom of speech. Just because you can make such speech doesn't mean I have to listen or read such speech.

jasode 10y ago

Based on the type of companies participating with FCC (e.g. Google and Apple), my guess is that the technology will be a blacklist/whitelist "trust/reputation" database similar to web certificates. With such a database in place, smartphones like iPhone/Android will have updated software that can optionally screen the call's caller-id reputation. (Analogous to a web browser url bar have a "padlock" or blocking https pages from loading at all with bad certificates.) (If the above implementation is accurate, it means blocking robocalls will be feasible on smartphones but not legacy analog land line phones.) It wouldn't be a First Amendment issue because the owners of the phones can opt into blocking robotelemarketing callers. Same concept as AdBlock or putting "127.0.0.1 ads.doubleclick.net" in your HOSTS. If modifying your HOSTS file or adding a email routing rule is GMail/MSOutlook to redirect mail to a trash folder is violating someone elses First Amendment rights, it's not an argument I've ever seen presented.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
Note that "Google and Apple" aren't representative of the types of companies here, the media just obsesses about them. There are 33 companies in all. Mostly telecoms.
- jasode 10y ago
  The "Robocall Strike Force" also includes smartphone manufacturers such as Ericsson, LG, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung so it would be misleading to think it's just 2 Silicon Valley technology companies and 31 telecoms. From the article, it looks like intelligence about VOIP is part of the potential solution. https://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2016/08/us-carriers-join-apple-google-33-member-robocall-strike-force https://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2016/08/us-carriers-join-a...
jasonjei 10y ago
That's the argument I was making above--that being able to block emails and phone numbers is just as expressive as making phone calls and emails. Same thing with hosts file and ad blocking; people are guaranteed the right to privacy and not having to listen to other's speech is also freedom of speech. Just because you can make such speech doesn't mean I have to listen or read such speech.