Verizon launches a free service for identifying and blocking spam calls

Verizon takes new steps to combat the relentless nuisance of spam calls. Maybe not Newbut you will not have to pay extra money to know when the robots are calling. The leading US operator has deployed its free calling filter service to Android and iOS customers. Once activated, Verizon indicates that the filter will allow customers to "receive alerts when a call is likely to receive spam, report unsolicited numbers and automatically block urgent calls based on their level of risk." prefer.

The company notes that "some features will vary depending on the type of phone a customer has." But everyone enjoys the essential protection, as shown by this comparison between the Galaxy S10E and the iPhone XS Max:

Unfortunately, Call Filter Free is totally unavailable to Verizon's prepaid customers and is reserved for postpaid accounts.

Verizon's millions of customers have so far lacked a layer of free spam protection, despite the fact that T-Mobile and other carriers already offer it. Until now, the call filter was only available for an additional fee. This premium option still exists. According to Verizon, here's what you'll pay $ 2.99 more per month in addition to your phone bill:

This enhanced product includes all the great features included in the free version (spam detection, blocking, and reporting), as well as the ability to identify unknown callers by name. Calls are also better controlled thanks to the ability to create a personal automated call blocking list, to access additional information through the automated call risk counter and to a search function. the spam number.

To activate the call filter, you can install Verizon's dedicated app – here for Android and here for iOS – or simply enable protection as an account add-in in your My Verizon app or on the website of the society. There is also a guide for using the call filter.

The FCC has openly warned all major US carriers that it would take action if they were not successful in thwarting spam calls this year – or at least significantly reducing the volume of their inconvenience caused several times a day . many of us. To this end, Verizon claims to have successfully made calls using the STIR / SHAKEN Call Authentication technology that the industry is beginning to adopt.

Before your phone rings, STIR / SHAKEN checks that a call comes from the number it is calling. The system is designed to prevent spammers from spoofing your area code to give the impression that a call may be legit. We hang up all as soon as we hear the robot's voice threatening us from the IRS or claiming that our iCloud has been hacked, but these cases are still lost seconds and an unwanted distraction.

Some of Verizon's competitors are progressing faster with STIR / SHAKEN. T-Mobile has already deployed live on its network (though on less than a handful of devices) and AT & T and Comcast have entered into the first agreement to authenticate calls between two providers different using technology. STIR / SHAKEN will eventually have to go to all the major mobile operators in the United States if we want to return to peace. The FCC's president, Ajit Pai, said that "uniform adoption would improve authentication over the entire network and ensure that no consumer is left behind ". The Commission has threatened "regulatory intervention" if the operators are too slow to get there.