Eleanor Finch
Political text messages have become an increasingly common occurrence, with Americans receiving a record 15 billion political texts in 2022. These texts are often sent by political organizations or advocacy groups to encourage voter participation and solicit donations. While they may be a useful tool for campaigns, many recipients find them invasive and annoying. The frequency of these messages tends to increase during election seasons, and they are generally exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry requirements. However, there are ways to reduce or block these messages, and individuals can report improper or fraudulent political texts to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Frequency | High during election season |
| Sender | Political or advocacy groups, political candidates |
| Purpose | Get-out-the-vote tool, fundraising |
| Consent | Not always required, but can opt-out by replying "STOP" |
| Content | May be misleading or contain malicious links |
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What You'll Learn
Political text messages are exempt from the Do Not Call list
Political text messages are a common occurrence during election season. While they may be a nuisance to some, they are a powerful tool for political organizations to encourage voter turnout. These text messages are often sent by political or advocacy groups, who obtain phone numbers from public or private sources. Despite the existence of the National Do Not Call Registry, political text messages are exempt from its requirements. This means that individuals may receive unsolicited messages from campaigns, even if they have not provided their consent.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) governs the rules that political campaigns must follow when making robocalls or sending robotexts. While prior express consent is generally required for informational robocalls and robotexts to mobile phones, political robocalls to landlines are exempt from this rule. This exemption allows political campaigns to make robocalls to landlines without the prior consent of the recipient. However, there are limits to the number of calls that can be made, with no more than three calls permitted within any consecutive 30-day period.
It is important to note that individuals have the right to revoke their consent for receiving robocalls or robotexts at any time. They can do so by replying "STOP" to a text or requesting not to be called again on a voice call. If a person is receiving unsolicited political text messages, they can take several steps to limit their frequency. Being mindful of text message opt-ins when providing a phone number online is one way to reduce unwanted messages. Additionally, individuals can block the sender or forward the text to 7726 to report it as spam.
While political text messages are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry, they are still subject to certain regulations. The TCPA prohibits political campaign-related autodialed or prerecorded voice calls, including autodialed texts, to cell phones and other mobile devices without the recipient's prior express consent. This means that political campaigns must obtain consent before sending autodialed texts to mobile phones. If a campaign violates these rules, individuals can file an informal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at fcc.gov/complaints.
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You may have given consent to receive texts
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), you must give consent to receive automated political text messages, or "robotexts". A political organization may have asked for this consent while you were donating on their website, signing up for updates, or engaging in any type of online ordering, marketing, or social media activity. These automated texts are sent using "auto-dial" technology, which can blast out thousands of numbers at a time.
The FCC states that robotexts sent to mobile phones require prior express consent, and the same rules apply to protected phone lines, such as emergency or toll-free lines. However, text messages sent manually by a real person can be sent without prior consent. These manually sent texts may include your name or other personalized information.
If you are receiving unwanted political texts, you can take several measures to limit their frequency. Be aware of text message opt-ins when entering your phone number online, and know that both manual and automated political texts should cease contact if you reply with "STOP". You can also block the sender or forward the text to 7726 to report it as spam. Additionally, you can go to your phone's message settings and filter out text messages from anyone not in your contact list.
It is important to note that political text messages can be dangerous, as bad actors may exploit them to deceive recipients into clicking malicious links or divulging personal information. Always treat political texts as alerts, and never click through or interact with them unless you can verify their legitimacy.
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Texts are sent manually or via autodialer
Political text messages are a common occurrence, especially during election seasons. These messages are sent to solicit support, funds, or votes, gauge public opinion through surveys, and provide information about political events and initiatives. While some may be genuine, others could be scams.
Political campaigns have increasingly turned to text messaging as a preferred mode of communication due to its relatively low cost and high engagement rates. Text messages offer a sense of immediacy and are more likely to be seen promptly by recipients compared to emails or phone calls. This shift has resulted in a surge of political text messages, with Americans receiving over 13 billion texts related to campaigns in 2020 and a record 15 billion in 2022.
Now, let's focus on how these texts are sent. Political text messages can be sent manually or via autodialer. When sent manually, they are typically sent by volunteers using their personal cell phones. This practice is known as person-to-person (P2P) messaging and is not subject to the same stringent regulations as application-to-consumer (A2P) messaging. Campaigns are not required to obtain prior consent for manually sent texts.
On the other hand, autodialers are used to send texts automatically to thousands of numbers at once. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), political campaigns are prohibited from using autodialers to send text messages to mobile phones without the recipient's prior express consent. However, the Supreme Court's definition of autodialers has allowed some texting technology to circumvent this rule. To stop receiving autodialed political texts, you can reply "STOP," “STOPALL,” “ENDALL,” or “CANCEL.”
To summarize, political text messages are a prevalent form of communication during election seasons, and they can be sent manually by volunteers or via autodialer technology. While manually sent texts do not require prior consent, autodialed texts should only be sent with the recipient's permission. If you wish to stop receiving political texts, you can take steps such as replying "STOP" or blocking the sender's number.
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Texts are often sent by political or advocacy groups
In the United States, political campaign phone calls and texts are exempt from the Do Not Call list. However, campaigns generally need prior consent to send these messages unless they are manually typed by a real person. Most political texts are sent using auto-dial technology, which can send thousands of messages at once. While this technology is exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry, it is subject to specific rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). For example, robocalls and robotexts to mobile phones require prior consent, and the sender must honor the recipient's request to revoke consent.
You may have unknowingly given consent to receive these messages. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), consent to receive automated robotexts can be given when signing up for updates or donating on a political organization's website. Additionally, if you have used your phone number for online ordering, marketing, or social media, you may have unknowingly agreed to share your number with other service providers.
To reduce the number of political texts you receive, you can adjust your phone's message settings to filter out messages from unknown senders. You can also block the sender or forward the text to 7726 to report it as spam. Replying "STOP" should also prompt the sender to cease contact.
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Texts can be reported as spam or blocked
If you're tired of receiving political text messages, you're not alone. Millions of political robotexts have been sent, and it can feel like a bombardment. Political text messages can be invasive and feel like a nuisance, especially when you didn't sign up for them or forgot that you did.
The good news is that you can take action to limit or stop these messages. Firstly, be aware of text message opt-ins when entering your phone number online. It's easy to accidentally opt into receiving these messages, so always read the fine print. If you start receiving these messages and want them to stop, simply reply "STOP", "STOPALL", "ENDALL", or "CANCEL". Campaigns should honor these opt-out requests, and both manual and automated texts should cease contact. If they don't, you can file an informal complaint with the FCC at fcc.gov/complaints.
Additionally, you can block the sender of these messages. Depending on your phone, go into your Messages app, choose the text from the number you want to block, and follow the steps to block the number. You can also report the text as spam, either through your phone or by forwarding the text to 7726. This will alert your carrier, who can then investigate the sender.
If you suspect the number is from a scammer, it's best to block and report the number. Replying to a scammer lets them know your number is real, so avoid doing this. Instead, use a call-and-text-blocking app like Should I Answer?, Hiya, or Truecaller. However, keep in mind that these apps will ask for sensitive information.
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Frequently asked questions
Political campaigns have embraced text messaging as a pivotal component of their outreach strategies. People are more likely to engage with texts than emails or phone calls.
Yes, political organizations need your prior consent to send automated text messages. However, this is not the case for text messages sent manually by a real person.
You can reply "STOP" to the text message to revoke your consent. You can also block the sender or report the text as spam by forwarding the message to 7726.
Do not attempt to vote again. Groups sending these texts may not be using up-to-date information. Voting twice in an election is a crime.
