Jonah Patel
With the 2024 presidential election approaching in November, Americans are receiving a surge of text messages from political campaigns. These texts are a new and popular strategy for politicians to reach voters, as they are more likely to be read than emails or phone calls. However, many people are frustrated by the volume of texts, which can feel like an invasion of personal space. If you are receiving unwanted political texts, there are ways to stop them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for receiving texts | Voter data is accessible to all states for election purposes. |
| How to stop the texts | Contact the campaign and ask them to remove you from their list, or report them to the FCC. |
| How to filter texts | On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Messages, scroll down, select Filter Unknown Senders and swipe the toggle setting on. On Android, open the Messages app, select Spam Protection, then Enable spam protection. |
| Rules for campaigns | Campaigns must follow the rules set out by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). |
| Rules for consent | Campaigns must have prior consent to send automated texts to mobile phones. Manual messages can be sent without prior consent. |
Explore related products
$17.96 $57.99
What You'll Learn
Political campaigns do not require consent to send texts
Political campaigns do not require prior consent to send manually written text messages to mobile phones. However, they must obtain prior express consent to send automated text messages, also known as robotexts, to mobile phones. These are text messages generated through autodialing, which is any equipment with the capacity to store or produce telephone numbers using a random or sequential number generator.
Political campaigns must adhere to specific rules when sending text messages to voters. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) contains certain rules that political campaigns must follow. The TCPA was enacted to restrict telemarketing calls, the use of automated telephone equipment, and to establish the Do Not Call Registry. While campaign calls and texts are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry requirements, robocalls and robotexts to mobile phones require prior consent.
Political campaigns must obtain prior express consent from the recipient before sending automated text messages. This means that voters need to have given clear permission to be contacted via text. This can be done through online forms, campaign events, or other methods where voters can clearly opt-in.
If you are receiving texts that you did not ask for, you can report the sender by forwarding the texts to 7726 or "SPAM". You can also contact the political campaign that is texting you and tell them to remove you from their list. They should then remove you from the contact list, but if they do not, you can report them to the FCC.
Kamala Harris: When Will She Speak?
You may want to see also
How to stop receiving political texts
During an election season, it is common to receive an increased number of calls and texts from political campaigns. While these are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry requirements, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) contains specific rules that campaigns must follow. For instance, political campaigns are prohibited from sending autodialed or pre-recorded voice calls, including autodialed live calls, autodialed texts, and pre-recorded voice messages to cell phones, pagers, or other mobile devices without the recipient's prior express consent.
If you are tired of receiving political texts, here are some ways to stop them:
- Revoke consent: For calls and texts that require consent, the caller must honor the recipient's request to revoke consent. The recipient can revoke consent at any time and in any reasonable manner, such as replying "stop" to a text or asking not to be called or texted again.
- Report spam: If you are receiving unsolicited political texts, you can report the sender by forwarding the texts to 7726 or "SPAM".
- Contact the campaign: You can contact the political campaign that is texting you and request them to remove your number from their list. They should then take you off their contact list.
- Filter unknown senders: You can change your phone settings to filter out text messages from unknown senders. On iPhones, open the Settings app, tap Messages, scroll down, select "Filter Unknown Senders," and turn on the toggle. On Android phones, open the Messages app Settings, select "Spam Protection," and then enable spam protection. However, this method may cause you to miss important text reminders from unknown numbers, such as for doctor's appointments or restaurant reservations.
Political Campaigns: Complete Control Over Information Sources
You may want to see also
Why political campaigns send so many texts
Political campaigns have increasingly turned to text messaging as a preferred mode of communication, surpassing traditional methods like mailers or phone calls. This is because text messaging is a pivotal component of their outreach strategies. Unlike emails that often languish unread or phone calls that go unanswered, text messages are seen promptly by recipients. This direct line to voters' personal devices allows campaigns to deliver targeted messages, solicit donations, and mobilize volunteers. Campaigns know that there's almost no cost to sending out texts, and enough people respond to make it valuable.
Text messages are also used to provide crucial updates on campaign events—all with a few taps on a smartphone screen. According to Alex Quilici, CEO of call-blocking company YouMail, there will be more political texts in 2024 than in all of 2023. Political campaigns have been able to acquire phone numbers for texting through extensive databases and digital tools designed to gather and utilize voter contact information.
Before political campaigns can send mass text messages, they are required to register with a relevant text-messaging registry to verify the campaign's legitimacy and ensure compliance with industry standards for opt-in and opt-out procedures. Once a campaign receives approval from the registry, they can use a mass-texting service provider to deliver messages on behalf of the campaign from a dedicated phone number.
However, it is important to note that political campaigns are required to obtain consent before sending automated text messages, and they must respect opt-out requests when the recipient replies with "STOP". If you are receiving texts that you didn't ask for, you can report the sender by forwarding the texts to 7726 ("SPAM") to prompt an investigation and block future messages.
Who Are Campaign Surrogates and Why They Matter
You may want to see also
Explore related products
How to identify and deal with scam political texts
As an election approaches, it is common to receive an influx of text messages from political parties or candidates. While most of these messages are sent by campaigns to rally support from registered voters in their area, some of these messages could be scams.
How to Identify Scam Political Texts
Scammers take advantage of political passion and trick people into handing over their personal information or money under the guise of a donation. Here are some ways to identify scam political texts:
- Unsolicited texts: If you receive an unsolicited text, do not respond. Instead, reach out to your local election office.
- Requests for personal information: Be cautious if the text asks for personal information, such as your Social Security number, date of birth, or financial information.
- Fake polling: Scammers may send texts asking you to take a poll by clicking on a link. Clicking on the link may take you to a page offering prizes for participating, but then they will ask for your credit card information. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- AI-generated voices: The FCC has declared that calls made with AI-generated voices are considered "artificial" under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). Therefore, voice cloning technology used in common robocall scams is illegal.
How to Deal with Scam Political Texts
If you are receiving unwanted political texts, here are some ways to deal with them:
- Reply "STOP": By replying "STOP" to a text, you are revoking your consent and requesting the sender to opt you out of their list.
- Filter unknown senders: You can enable the "Filter Unknown Senders" feature on your iPhone or enable spam protection on your Android phone to hide messages from unknown senders.
- Report to the FCC: If you think you have received a political text that does not comply with the FCC's rules, you can file an informal complaint at fcc.gov/complaints or by mail.
- Contact the campaign: You can contact the political campaign that is texting you and request them to remove you from their contact list.
Political Sign Removal: Florida's Legal Stance Explained
You may want to see also
Legality of political texts
During an election season, it is common to receive an increased number of calls and texts from political campaigns. While these campaign calls and texts are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry requirements, they must follow the rules set by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Political campaigns are prohibited from sending autodialed or pre-recorded voice calls, including autodialed live calls, autodialed texts, and pre-recorded voice messages to cell phones, pagers, or other mobile devices without the recipient's prior express consent. However, such calls are permitted to be made to landline phones without prior consent, with a limit of no more than three calls within any consecutive 30-day period.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) also provides guidelines for political communications, including text messaging. FEC mandates that all political messages, regardless of the medium, must include proper disclosures, such as identifying the entity that paid for and authorized the message. Additionally, states like California, New York, and Florida have their own regulations regarding political text messages. For instance, California law requires an opt-out mechanism, New York demands explicit written consent, and Florida aligns with federal TCPA standards while requiring clear identification of the sender and an opt-out mechanism.
If you are receiving unwanted political texts, you can report them by forwarding the messages to 7726 (SPAM) or by contacting the FCC directly. You can also enable spam protection or filter unknown senders on your smartphone to hide or block these messages.
Target's Political Leanings: Which Party Does It Support?
You may want to see also
