CNET: Robocaller could be fined $10 million. “The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has suggested a robocall telemarketer be fined almost $10 million, after an investigation found he spoofed a competitor’s phone number to spread misinformation about a candidate during California’s 2018 primary election.”
phone calls
The House and Senate finally agree on something: Robocalls (TechCrunch)
TechCrunch: The House and Senate finally agree on something: Robocalls. “In these times of political strife, it’s nice that despite our differences we can still band together as a nation in the face of a catastrophe that affects us all equally. I speak, of course, of robocalls, and it seems that the House and Senate have put their differences aside for the present in order to collaborate on a law combating this scourge.”
Techdirt: FBI Asks Congress To Permanently Reauthorize The Phone Record Collection The NSA Voluntarily Shut Down
Techdirt: FBI Asks Congress To Permanently Reauthorize The Phone Record Collection The NSA Voluntarily Shut Down. “The NSA may not need the phone records collection but it appears the FBI thinks it does. The easiest way for Congress to codify the program’s shut down would be to let it expire at the end of this year. FBI Director Chris Wray is hoping to prevent a do-nothing Congress from doing nothing and letting the clock run out on the metadata collection.”
TechCrunch: This brilliant app waits on hold for you
TechCrunch: This brilliant app waits on hold for you. “DoNotPay helps you get out of parking tickets and cancel forgotten subscriptions, and now it can call you when it’s your turn in a customer service phone queue. The app today is launching ‘Skip Waiting On Hold.’ Just type in the company you need to talk to, and DoNotPay calls for you using tricks to get a human on the line quickly. Then it calls you back and connects you to the agent so you never have to listen to that annoying hold music.” It’s not free, but $3 a month could pay for itself depending on how often you have to wait on hold.
How-To Geek: Windows 10’s Phone Calls Will Support All Android 7+ Phones
How-To Geek: Windows 10’s Phone Calls Will Support All Android 7+ Phones. “If you have an Android phone, the Calls feature will let you answer phone calls on your PC, initiate phone calls from your PC, access your call history in the Your Phone app, and seamlessly transfer calls between your PC and Android phone while on a call. You can even decline a call from your PC and send a custom text message in response or just send it to voicemail.”
Engadget: Phone companies and state attorneys general join forces to fight robocalls
Engadget: Phone companies and state attorneys general join forces to fight robocalls. “US consumers receive as many as 350,000 unwanted calls every three minutes, according to the FCC. Despite multiple efforts to end the onslaught, an estimated 4.7 billion robocalls hit American phones in July alone. Now, attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are teaming up with 12 carriers in a united effort to prevent and block the spam calls.”
CNET: Trump administration reportedly wants to extend NSA phone surveillance program
CNET: Trump administration reportedly wants to extend NSA phone surveillance program. “The Trump administration has reportedly asked Congress to permanently reauthorize all provisions of the USA Freedom Act, including a controversial National Security Agency program that collects and analyzes records on millions of Americans’ calls and texts in an attempt to thwart terrorists.”
