Updated rules for blocking telephone spam have come into effect in Ukraine: operators can now ban numbers that are mass-calling people without their consent. Users are offered several simple ways to file a complaint and have them blocked.
Updated rules for blocking telephone spam have come into effect in Ukraine: operators can now ban numbers that are mass-calling people without their consent. Users are offered several simple ways to file a complaint and have them blocked.
As the Ministry of Digital Affairs explains, there are three main channels of action. The first is to notify your operator:
Second: send a complaint to the government hotline 1545. And third: contact the National Commission, which regulates electronic communications, via the form on the website .
Then the operator’s algorithm works. The number to which the complaint was received is checked against a set of indicators and blocked if at least two match. Among such signs: calls «without conversation», the average duration of calls over the last seven days is less than 60 seconds, more than half of outgoing calls are to different numbers; it is impossible to call back, a recording is played during dialing, there are mass complaints from subscribers, the proportion of conversation to incoming calls is less than 5%, the number is used only for calls (without SMS and the Internet).
If a number falls under these signs, it is added to the blocking lists and «calls» stop reaching network subscribers.
For the user, the mechanics are simple: you record the fact of an intrusive call, contact any of the specified channels, provide the number and, if possible, the time and nature of the calls. The more structured signals received from subscribers, the faster the operator can confirm the signs of spam and apply blocking. The rules are designed to eliminate «cold sales» and fraudulent scenarios, while not affecting legitimate service communication (for example, bank calls with authorization or courier logistics), which do not have typical spam features.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how changes to the Rules for the Provision and Receipt of Electronic Communication Services in Ukraine will come into force on October 2. One of the important innovations is that telecom operators have the opportunity to block unproductive calls to subscribers' numbers.
