In the News
Spam calling is a nuisance for not only customers but also phone carriers. In T-Mobile and Comcast partner to combat robocalls, Makena Kelly at The Verge discusses a recent collaboration between phone carriers to verify and authenticate calls between the networks. Kelly explains that phone carriers have been using the SHAKEN/STIR protocol to validate and verify whether callers are human. Kelly states that more and more carriers are creating partnerships such as the one between T-Mobile and Comcast.
Our Take
Partnerships such as the one between Comcast and T-Mobile show a vested interest in reducing the occurrence and damage of robocalls on their consumer base. While we often things of phone carriers as strictly competitors, it is reassuring to see collaboration for the greater good of customers. This partnership will allow for a broader range of phone calls to be authenticated. The authentication process can be limited when a carrier can only verify calls through their network, but with multiple networks working together, this range increases drastically. Hopefully, partnerships with additional carriers continue to be rolled out and end up making a difference in the frequency of robocalls. Even if your carrier is authentications calls on their network and in collaboration with others, it is always important to only answer calls from callers you are familiar with or if you are expected a call. Protecting yourself against robocalls is a two-way street: you have a responsibility, and so does your phone carrier.
Recommendations
How can you protect the personal information from robocalls and spam calls?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Refrain from answering calls from unknown and unfamiliar numbers
- Refrain from sharing financial and sensitive personal information over the phone
- Check your email, financial accounts, and credit reports regularly for abnormal activities