No one likes those spam callers or fraudsters sending unneeded information through automated voice messages. Plenty of apps and cellular companies have provided services like DNDs and call blocking features, but AT&T is going a step further and completely eliminating the possibility of having these calls being made.
With its new Call Protect feature, AT&T have designed a system to block unwanted and potentially suspicious calls to users. It’ll also warn the users for such calls being made to them, combating this rampant trend that continues to plague people even today. The service has been made free of charge to users who have subscribed to AT&T’s HD Voice services (VoLTE).
Customers will also be able to block specific numbers for 30 days and if they download the Call Protect companion app, they can access even more features.
“Nuisance calls are an industry-wide problem that unfortunately affect many people,” AT&T senior VP Jeff Bradley said in a press release. “We’ve listened to our customers and know they want a network that provides tools to proactively assist in blocking nuisance calls. AT&T Call Protect, along with others, will help put customers more in control of the calls they receive.”
It works similar to Truecaller, where the app suggests whether the number calling is indeed a suspicious one, based on user-feedback or whether it’s a legitimate one. It also allows users to block numbers from calling and provides the necessary IDs for otherwise unknown numbers.
Call Protect obviously won’t work in every possible scenario out there, since marketing callers and voice recorded messages can appear from different numbers altogether. But it should take care of a majority of annoying calls that one should receive generally. Quite often numbers are siphoned off from various sources and those are sold to big establishments to create database to send their marketing material to. When we sign up for a lucky draw, do a random online survey that asks for numbers, e-mail addresses and so on, the data is collected and auctioned off to third parties most of the time. Other times, hackers can peak at the active numbers that are available on a carrier’s database itself and pick them up.
Features like Call Protect are very important nowadays and is a welcome addition to a lot of smartphones, especially when we all text rather than just talk to people anyway.
