'Do Not Call' Complaints Up Sharply As More Americans Get Robocalled

It's not even about that. If you start making phone companies liable for calls you get, it also opens up liability for calls that someone else makes and they block. Carriers are supposed to allow traffic without "unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, classifications, regulations, facilities, or services" and blocking calls without a judicial reason would violate that.  It also protects the carriers from liability for any illegal acts that may occur using their services. You start to make them liable for illegal telemarketers, you have to make them liable for a whole host of other illegal activities they are 'involved' or 'participating' in going over their lines. Do you want AT&T monitoring your calls to make sure you're not doing anything illicit?

But each mail server is protected individually, not directly by AT&T, Verizon, Cogent, Windstream, etc. Each mail server has it's own rules and filters (although there is a lot of common ground there). Different mail services may do things differently, but it's a lot easier to change email addresses than telephone lines (although that's starting to get somewhat easier with VoIP services).

We already have a telephone equivalent to Real-Time Blackhole likes (like Spamhaus, Barracuda, etc) with NoMoRobo.

Why would I worry about a phone company I DON'T USE monitoring me? Once again, you don't stop and think 'hey, could I possibly be ASSUMING who this person has' (you know what they say about people who assume right)? And no, I am NOT going to tell you who that is. Plus, I don't have a freaking issue with calls coming in because I guard my number like it was the gold in Fort Knox! That's what half the issue is-people posting their number on all these sites that may or may not be secure! How is THAT in any way the carrier's fault if people are irresponsible with their number in the first place?! Answer: it's NOT.

Technically it's doable.  There is very little difference between VoIP and POTS at the infrastructure level, mainly where the ATA resides.  The barriers are legal, regulatory, and policy.  Besides, POTS is a legacy service losing marketshare and the telcos are also data (wired and wireless) and media companies with heavy competition.  Their money and focus is not on POTS.

AT&T was an example. The fact remains that even though you may not use AT&T, the person you are calling MAY BE using AT&T and could thus be monitoring you. And any ILEC/CLEC would have the same needs to protect their liability, so it wouldn't really matter what phone company/interconnect you're using or even VoIP.

As has been pointed out before, there are many people who do guard their number, but still get calls. Telemarketers don't need to scavenge your number from this site, or any other site.  You can guard your number as much as you want, but if it's connected to the PTSN, it's dialable.  Many scammers war-dial, so if your phone number doesn't respond with a not-in-service SIT tone, or fails to connect, they still have your number. (Watch "War Games" with Matthew Broderick for a movie depiction of this practice from back in 1983 - over 30 years ago.).

Actually, it's very rare when I do. Plus, you completely ignored what I said about people not being careful with their numbers because you can't find a suitable argument to refute that I was right there. You're trolling all right, and it's not telemarketers

I was getting 5-6 calls a DAY from 7am to after 8pm..Verizon would only block 15 numbers so I bought a new phone that can block up to 250 numbers...that really helped! Some callers still call even though they get my "you are blocked" response for awhile, then finally give up or change their number...which I then block. The government needs to get this problems addressed...guess I need to get a restraining order...can't call a phone within 100 yards of me!!

It seems the only solution to this is a phone that can have phone numbers programmed into it that you will accept calls from.  It doesn't seem like it should be a difficult task either to program a phone to accept calls from your contact list only.

I did anything but ignore your comment about being careful.  As I said, you can guard your number anyway you like, but if it's connected to the PTSN, any war-dialing telemarketer can, and likely will, find it.

They haven't YET. But then again, I'm talking to someone who believes baiting is the only way to go, so it's basically like talking to a freaking brick wall. Oh, and I saw your little reaction to being described as I see you...just sad

Yet no where in this thread have I suggested baiting.  So who's reacting?

I'm talking about the past...as for your comment about AT&T, I wouldn't touch them with a 40-foot pole. Had you used the term 'phone company', I doubt this argument would even be happening. I'm not the only one you went after eithe-I think BigA is just letting me get my word in before he steps in. You seem to think you have all the answers-no one likes a know-it-all buddy.

I mean, your username is TORMENTING telemarketers, not IGNORING telemarketers, and in many threads you've advocated engaging them for as long as possible. So don't try that nonsense. It's insulting.

He's not even worth the time and effort. I'm done with this fool who doesn't know when to quit.

Even you have to admit that by protecting your number it reduces the amount of nonsense calls...?