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(Newser)
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The big telephone companies have pledged to do more to fight the automated calls that plague Americans, states attorneys general said. Government and industry are the last step in the fight against the growing problem, according to the PA. Every month, Americans receive nearly 5 billion automated calls from crooks, telemarketers, collection companies and others. Some parts of the agreement echo the steps already taken by regulators and the Congress, which is working on anti-appeal bills. However, there is no time for the 12 major telephone companies of the covenant to keep the promises announced Thursday by the attorneys general of 50 states and the federal district of Columbia. According to the agreement, companies will offer free call blocking tools to customers, with the exception of those who still use old copper landline phones.
Many of the large companies already offer this service, although some charge some or all services. Companies will also block calls for everyone at the network level, including fixed lines. The Federal Communications Commission has asked the telephone companies to block unwanted calls and expects operators to not charge. The agreement also requires operators to deploy a system capable of labeling caller ID numbers as real. State GAs also require companies to "devote sufficient resources" to quickly determine where automated calls come from when law enforcement or an existing industry group is engaged in research from the origin of fraudulent calls. (The FCC warns people not to return automated calls.)
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