Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Thursday 6 June 2019
Is there finally more help in the fight against robocalls?

By TALI ARBEL As a result, robocalls from
AP Technology Writer scammers and legitimate
NEW YORK (AP) — New companies have risen to 5
tools are coming to fight billion per month in the U.S.,
robocalls, but don't expect according to YouMail. That
unwanted calls to disap- works out to 14 calls per
pear. person.
Political gridlock could de- It's nearly double the 2.7 bil-
rail bills aimed at beefing lion robocalls in November
up enforcement and forc- 2017, when the govern-
ing phone companies to do ment gave wireless com-
more. The companies have panies such as Verizon
been slow to act against and T-Mobile permission to
such automated calls on block some problem calls
their own. And even if that are certainly scams,
companies do implement like if they started with a
better technology, scam- 911 area code.
mers and telemarketers Wireless carriers are imple-
will somehow get through menting a system to iden-
in this never-ending arms tify faked numbers and
race. have rolled out call-block-
"We get things working re- ing apps. But they haven't
ally well. We're flagging all done much else, worried
these calls as scams. And about their own legal liabil-
then the scammers find a ity for accidentally block-
new way," said Grant Cas- This Aug. 1, 2017, file photo, shows a call log displayed via an AT&T app on a cellphone in Or- ing calls that should go
tle, vice president of engi- lando, Fla. through.
neering at T-Mobile. "We Associated Press Rules the FCC is expect-
have to adjust. It is a con- ed to approve Thursday
stant back-and-forth." out asking customers first. The aggravation isn't lim- mers don't care if you've could make call-blocking
Still, there's hope that new Phone scams have cost ited to scammers pretend- added your number to the widespread. But carriers
efforts from the Federal victims millions of dollars. ing to be from the IRS or government's Do Not Call still wouldn't have to make
Communications Commis- And they disrupt institutions, Social Security. Call-block- list. call-blocking the default,
sion and the industry should not just your dinner. A hos- er YouMail estimates that Yet enforcement against and they could charge for
help you dodge many ro- pital in Florida, the Moffitt about a third of robocalls illegal callers is negligible. it, too — just as they now
bocalls, even if they won't Cancer Center, received come from debt collectors Federal agencies have charge for some caller ID
go away completely. In a 6,600 calls over 90 days and companies pitching fined scammers hundreds features and other extras.
scheduled vote Thursday faked to look as though cruises or insurance. of millions of dollars, but FCC Chairman Ajit Pai be-
with big implications, the they were coming from in- The robocall problem has it's been difficult to collect. lieves wireless carriers will
FCC is clarifying that phone side the hospital, diverting exploded because cheap Many of the callers are have an incentive to step
companies can block 65 hours of staff time from software makes it easy to overseas. It's hard to throw up and offer these services
many unwanted calls with- patient care. make mass calls. Scam- the fraudsters in jail. for free.q

YouTube updates hate speech

guidelines to prohibit videos

that the services allow, prohibit not only white su- sion.
and in some cases foster , premacy , but also white With little government
extremism. nationalism and white sep- oversight on online mate-
YouTube's new policies will aratism. rial, internet companies
take effect immediately. The two services, which al- have become the arbi-
Specifically, the service is low people to create and ters for what is and isn't al-

This March 20, 2018 file photo shows the YouTube app on an banning videos "alleging upload their own materials, lowed.
iPad in Baltimore. that a group is superior in have faced considerable And the policies don't al-
Associated Press order to justify discrimina- backlash about offensive ways fall into clean, delin-
tion, segregation or exclu- videos on their services — eated lines.
BY RACHEL LERMAN find and promote such sion." The ban applies to a and for how long they al- Criticism of the decision
AP Technology Writer videos, but it's now remov- range of characteristics, in- lowed live video feeds to has poured out online.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — ing them outright. YouTube cluding race, sexual orien- stay online, such as dur- YouTube later said it had
YouTube updated its hate will also prohibit videos tation and veteran status. ing the mosque shooting removed Crowder's ability
speech policies Wednes- that deny certain proven YouTube, which is owned in Christchurch, New Zea- to make money on You-
day to prohibit videos with events have taken place, by Google, said it's remov- land. Tube. Crowder did not im-
white supremacy and neo- such as the Holocaust. ing thousands of channels The companies have said mediately respond to a
Nazi viewpoints. The changes come as You- that violate the new poli- they are walking the bal- request for comment but
The video streaming com- Tube, Facebook, Twitter cies. ance between creating posted a video on Twitter
pany says it has already and other online services YouTube's changes follow safe spaces while also pro- saying his channel is not
made it more difficult to face mounting concern moves from Facebook to tecting freedom of expres- going anywhere.q