Anatel launches offensive against telemarketing calls made by robots

In yet another card against abusive telemarketing, Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) issued a precautionary measure this Friday (3) to stop the abusive practice of automatic calls.

Known as robocalls, they are made automatically by computers (robots) that make more than 100,000 calls a day from the same number (generally not provided by operators) and that last more than three seconds.

Within ten days, the telecoms will have to send the agency a list of companies that currently fall into this situation. They will be warned to stop the practice under penalty of blocking and fine, which can reach R$ 50 million.

In general, telecoms use the prefix 0303 for the telemarketing service. The abusive practice, however, has been provided by another type of numbering unknown in the operators’ network, but which can be blocked.

The measure takes effect from this Tuesday (7) and will be in force for three months. According to her, telemarketing companies will have 15 days to adapt and put an end to the practice.

Operators will have a period of 30 days to start warning telemarketing companies that practice this type of abuse before blocking calls.

From then on, they are obliged to send Anatel a biweekly report on the blocked numbers.

Unblocking will only be allowed if companies that had their numbers blocked come to the agency and prove that the calls were made by people, not robots.

The criterion defined by Anatel for blocking takes into account the impossibility of a human being to make 100,000 calls a day from the same number.

Companies that do not comply with the agency’s determination will run the risk of having to pay a fine of up to R$50 million.

The penalty will also apply to call center companies (telemarketing) and any type of company, such as banks and retailers, that make use of the automatic call services provided by these companies.

For Anatel counselor Emannoel Campelo, it was necessary to take a precautionary measure in the face of companies’ resistance against the end of abusive telemarketing.

“Phone lines are made for contact between people, not robots. This is something that is beyond reasonableness”, said the adviser during the announcement of the measure.

BLOCKING STEP BY STEP

1) Starting this Tuesday (7), telecoms will have ten days to send Anatel a list of users who, in the last 30 days, generated 100,000 or more calls per day lasting from 0 to 3 seconds.

two) Telemarketing companies will have 15 days to stop the overload of calls to consumers without effective communication

3) The telecoms will start blocking in 30 days and will inform Anatel fortnightly about the blocks and new suspicious numbers

Source: Anatel