Stop Political Texts: Keep Your Number Private

Political text messages are a common occurrence, especially during election season. While it may seem like a violation of your privacy, there are ways to reduce the clutter in your inbox. If you are receiving unwanted political text messages, you can try to reduce them by changing your phone settings to filter out unknown senders or by blocking the numbers. You can also report spam by forwarding the text to 7726 or SPAM. Additionally, legitimate text campaign operators should remove you from their list if you reply with STOP.

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Replying with stop

If you're tired of receiving endless political text messages, you're not alone. Political campaigns tend to access publicly available voter registration information and text those numbers without asking. While it may feel like a violation, there are ways to reduce the clutter in your text inbox.

First, you can simply reply "STOP" to the text message. Most legitimate text campaign operators should remove you from their list if you reply with this keyword. You may have to do this multiple times if different campaigns are reaching out to you from various numbers.

However, if you suspect the number is from a scammer and not a campaign, it's better to block and report the number. Replying "STOP" to a scammer lets them know your number is real, and they may continue to bombard you with messages or even sell your number to other scammers.

In addition to replying "STOP", you can also report unwanted political text messages as spam by forwarding them to 7726. This number spells out "SPAM" on your phone keypad. If you believe a message breaks FCC rules, you can also file an informal complaint with the FCC on their website or by mail.

To reduce the number of unknown senders in your inbox, you can adjust your phone settings to filter out messages from those not in your contact list. On an iPhone, open the Settings app, tap Messages, scroll down, and select "Filter Unknown Senders." For Android phones, open the Messages app Settings, and enable spam protection.

Blocking the number

To block a number on an iPhone, open the Messages app, tap the conversation with the number you want to block, and select the "Info" option. Then, scroll down and tap "Block this Caller." On Android devices, the process may vary depending on the model and messaging app, but typically you can open the Messages app, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, select "People & Options," and choose "Block number."

In addition to blocking individual numbers, you can also enable spam protection or filter unknown senders in your phone settings. This will automatically filter out messages from unknown or blocked numbers, helping to reduce the number of political texts that appear in your main inbox.

It is worth noting that some political campaigns use auto-dial technology to send texts, which means they may be able to send messages from multiple numbers. In this case, blocking a single number may not be enough, and you may need to explore other options, such as contacting the campaign directly to request removal from their contact list.

Another option to consider is using a call-blocking service, such as Robokiller, which can help reduce the number of unwanted political text messages you receive. These services often offer additional features, such as spam filtering and call blocking, which can further enhance your privacy and reduce unwanted communications.

Using a call-blocking service

If you are tired of receiving unwanted political text messages, you can use a call-blocking service to reduce the number of messages you receive. These services can be a great way to monitor and automate the process of removing your information from various websites.

One such service is Incogni, which scans 195 websites for your information and removes it. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and charges $5.99/month for one person or $13.19/month for a family of up to four people. Another option is to use a call-and-text-blocking app like Should I Answer, Hiya, or Truecaller. However, keep in mind that these apps may ask for sensitive information.

Additionally, you can use a service like Samsung's Smart Call to report and block unwanted calls. If you want to block texts, you can change your phone settings to filter out unknown senders. On an iPhone, navigate to Settings, select "Messages," and toggle on the "Filter Unknown Senders" option. For Android, open the Messages app, choose the text from the number you want to block, and follow the steps to block the number.

It's important to be cautious of links in political texts as they may contain malware or lead to fraudulent websites. Some texts may be fake, designed to mislead or defraud you. Scammers often disguise themselves as legitimate political campaigns, nonprofits, or government agencies, especially during election seasons.

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Filtering unknown senders

If you're tired of receiving annoying political text messages on your phone, there are several ways to filter unknown senders and reduce interruptions from unwanted texts. Here are some methods to help you reclaim your phone and protect your personal space:

On an iPhone, you can filter messages from unknown senders by following these steps:

• Open the Settings app.
• Scroll down and select "Messages."
• Locate the "Filter Unknown Senders" option and toggle it on.

This will send all messages from unknown or private numbers to a separate tab or folder, allowing you to focus on messages from your contacts.

Android devices offer more flexibility when it comes to blocking unwanted messages. Here's how you can block unknown senders on most Android devices:

• Navigate to the Messages app.
• Open the text from the number you wish to block.
• Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
• Select "Block number" or "Block and report spam" from the options.

Using Spam Protection:

Both iPhone and Android provide spam protection features to filter unwanted messages. Here's how to enable it:

• Open the Messages app.
• Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
• Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.
• Toggle on "Enable spam protection" to filter messages from unknown senders into a separate folder.

Using Third-Party Services:

Consider investing in personal data removal services like Incogni, which constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your personal information from various websites. These services can help reduce the number of unwanted political text messages you receive.

Blocking Individual Numbers:

If you regularly receive political text messages from the same number, you can simply block it to prevent further interruptions. However, keep in mind that senders can switch to different numbers, so this method may not always be effective.

By following these methods, you can effectively filter unknown senders and reduce the number of unwanted political text messages you receive. It's important to note that you may still receive some political texts, especially during election seasons, but these steps will significantly improve your texting experience.

Contacting the campaign office

If you want to stop receiving political text messages, you can contact the campaign office directly and ask them to remove your number from their list. It is often volunteers who send these texts, so they should be more than happy to comply with your request. If they don't, you can report them to the FCC.

Before you contact the campaign office, it's worth noting that political campaigns tend to find publicly available voter registration information and text those numbers without asking. They usually send these texts without a software application, using volunteers' personal cell phones. This is considered person-to-person (P2P) messaging and is not subject to the same rules as A2P messaging. The FCC has ruled that organizations can send political texts if they do not use autodialing technology and manually dial the number instead. So, if the campaign office is using an autodialer to send you texts, they must have your prior consent.

If the campaign office is using texting software, they should have asked you to opt in before sending you a text. They must remove you from their contact list once you send them a special keyword, such as STOP, STOPALL, ENDALL, or CANCEL. If they are using texting software, their system will probably automatically remove you from their list once you send one of these keywords.

If you want to contact the campaign office, you can usually find a legitimate campaign number on their website. If you can't find it there, try searching for the campaign office's contact details online. Once you have the number, you can call or text them and ask them to remove your number from their list. If they are a legitimate campaign, they should comply with your request. If they don't, you can report them to the FCC.

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