Using Autodialers for COVID-19 Related Public Service Announcements | Eastern North Carolina Now

    If your organization uses, or expects to use, automated dialing technology to make large numbers of voice telephone calls to citizens about COVID-19, there are measures you are advised to take to help ensure that those calls are not inadvertently blocked by service providers or other entities.

What You Should Know

    Many telephone service and app providers offer services that consumers can use to block unwanted and illegal robocalls. While those services can protect citizens from illegal fraudulent robocallers (including ones taking advantage of the public's anxiety about COVID-19), there is some risk that legitimate calls made using automated dialing technology might inadvertently be identified as "spam" and blocked.

    Calling patterns associated with legitimate, important public service telephone calls might in some instances be similar to those associated with unwanted (and often illegal) robocalls, so the algorithms used to identify and block unwanted robocalls could potentially be triggered.

What You Should Do

    Any public service entity that uses an autodialer to contact its citizens can minimize the risk that its calls are incorrectly blocked (or labeled as "spam") by registering its telephone numbers with the companies that offer the blocking tools. Each has a procedure through which legitimate callers can register their numbers and report any instance(s) of incorrect blocking or labeling.

Telephone Service Providers' Portals for Registering Numbers

    Legitimate callers can go the web sites below to register legitimate numbers and also address any incorrect labeling or call blocking.

• AT&T: https://hiyahelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
  • Analytics Provider: Hiya
• Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular: http://Reportarobocall.com
  • Analytics Provider: TNS
• T Mobile: http://www.calltransparency.com
  • Analytics Provider: First Orion

    Third-Party App Providers

    Legitimate callers can email these companies about their planned autodialing calls:

• Nomorobo: reports@nomorobo.com
• YouMail: TNissues@youmail.com