AARP Eye Center
Because illegal robocalls are an epidemic, federal regulators gave phone companies the green light Thursday to start blocking unwanted calls without having to ask customers’ permission first.
Previously, customers had to opt in for call blocking.
The Federal Communications Commission's chairman called the decision a “major step forward” to combat the hugely annoying calls. The shocking statistics from YouMail, a California call-blocking company:
AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
*An estimated 4.7 billion robocalls were placed to U.S. phone numbers in May.
That's almost 152.9 million per day.
And almost 6.4 million per hour.
And almost 1,800 per second.
Or an average of 14.4 calls for every man, woman and child in the country.
* For the first five months of 2019, the estimate is more than 24.9 billion robocalls. That's roughly 76 per capita. The country is on track to receive about 60 billion of the illegal calls this year.
- In 2018, there were more than 47.8 billion.
- In 2017, there were more than 30.5 billion.
- In 2016, there were more than 29 billion.
Unlucky Atlantans
Which area code was hardest hit last month? The 404 area code in Atlanta had that sorry distinction in May, with an estimated 78.7 million robocalls, according to YouMail.
After Atlanta, the next hardest hit area codes were 214 in Dallas, 72.1 million; 832 in Houston, 70 million; 678 in Atlanta, 61.6 million; 954 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 47.5 million; 817, also in Fort Worth, 46.3 million; 917 in New York, 45.9 million; 310 in Los Angeles, 45.6 million; 210 in San Antonio, 43.9 million; 702 in Las Vegas, 43.6 million; and 901 in Memphis, Tenn., 42.3 million.
Because you take a cellphone anywhere, YouMail's estimates are based on area codes, regardless of where you actually live, said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail.
Under the FCC's decision, customers can opt out of call blocking. They may worry about missing legal automated calls about medical appointments, school closures, flight changes or late payments.
And phone companies will be able, though not required, to charge for the call-blocking service.
