It’s pretty common for robocalls to come through our phones even when we are registered in the National Do Not Call Registry. These prerecorded calls are a nuisance and have grown exponentially recently due to technology that allows robocallers to very easily conceal their identity with fake call numbers.  It seems appropriate tech companies should help find a way to stop these annoying and illegal calls for their consumers, and Apple appears to be doing just that.

Apple Patent Targets Robocalls

Earlier this month, Apple’s patent application titled “Detection of Spoofed Call Information” was published.  It discloses systems and techniques for detection of spoofed caller information. The invention is directed at uncovering the veil of fake information attached to illegal robocalls and providing a warning for the call recipient.

Many of these illegal calls are initiated to scam recipients out of money or property. While they are simply annoying to most of the recipients that ignore them, they do cause real harm to many unwitting people.

Are Technology Companies Doing Enough?

Tech companies have an interest in pleasing consumers with their newest inventions and gaining profits and distinction with new advances.  However, it’s the easy access to technology that has made it possible for illegal robocalls to become a widespread issue and concern.

Currently, some telephone companies like Verizon and AT&T provide a blocking service for consumers, but at an additional monthly cost.  Google’s Pixel 3 device includes a call screening feature to assist with identification of spam calls.  But, these are not solutions to help the overall population of phone users and they come at a price.

Then, there are apps like Nomorobo, Robokiller, and Truecaller, which have compiled blacklists of known robocallers and can stop them from coming through. However, these are not comprehensive lists and their lists aren’t shared.  It stands to reason that if the major tech companies would cooperate efforts in combatting the growing danger of robocalls, a solution should more easily be obtained.

Consumer and Government Reaction to Robocalls

While some people block call after call building a huge blocked call list on their phones, others resort to simply not answering calls from numbers not already in their address book. However, it’s the unsuspecting people that do answer and do believe what they hear that continue to fall victim to robocall scams.

The FCC recently proposed heavy fines against companies that used spoofed caller ID information in sending out robocalls. However, such fines won’t help with the international callers using U.S. numbers to scam U.S. citizens.

As companies such as Apple work on patents to find robocaller solutions and the government slowly takes action to help find solutions, consumers are getting more and more spoofed calls and continue to try to avoid them.

For more information on this topic, please visit our Patent Protection service page, which is part of our Patent Practice.

About the firm:

Klemchuk LLP is a litigation, intellectual property (IP) and transactional law firm, located in Dallas, TX.  The firm offers comprehensive legal services including litigation and enforcement of all forms of IP as well as registration and licensing of patents, trademarks, trade dress, and copyrights.  The firm also provides a wide range of technology, Internet, e-commerce, and business services including business planning, formation, and financing, mergers and acquisitions, business litigation, data privacy, and domain name dispute resolution.  Additional information about the patent law firm and its patent attorneys may be found at www.klemchuk.com.

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