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AT&T Debuts 'Call Protect' Service to Protect Against Robocalls

Mlrollin91 said:
Just signed up now. Hopefully just signing up and not needing to keep the app on my device will help. Been getting 1-2 calls a day lately. It use to be 1-2 a month. Hopefully this will reduce the calls. It says that I only need the app to manually block calls. We shall see. If this works, it might be the first time I actually ever thank AT&T.
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Yeah, for some reason I recently started getting multiple daily calls instead of monthly. I don't know what happened. And they aren't even always robocalls. I was offered a government grant three times in two days from various seemingly nice folks from a call center. It must have been the same organization giving the same scam pitch. Weird.
 
Did anyone note in the app that blocked numbers are inly good for 30 days?

What good is that?
 
I noticed that this service is "Powered by Hiya". I already have Hiya installed, so why would I need this too?
 
ZipZap said:
Did anyone note in the app that blocked numbers are inly good for 30 days?

What good is that?
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Numbers routinely get released back for service that might go to a service that is legitimate. Often these robo callers only keep the numbers a short time before cycling them. 30 days may be long enough for the number to go to another use, maybe not. Time will tell I guess.
 
jimthing said:
Oh right, we get those here too, but very few and far between. The UK has tight rules on spam calls anyway.
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I don't know how Canada compares between the US and UK for rules on spam calls, but I stayed at a Hilton in the US once and I get repeated calls for timeshares and vacation packages all the freaking time. They appear to be Nevada and Florida based companies, so clearly phoning a different country with different laws means nothing to them.
 
B60boy said:
I noticed that this service is "Powered by Hiya". I already have Hiya installed, so why would I need this too?
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Ah, you anticipated my question! I have Hiya also and was going to post if the AT&T app complements it or replicates it. I guess the answer is "duplicates it"! I'm wondering, though, if AT&T adds anything to the basic Hiya functionality due to its ability to get at the network level?
 
I hope Verizon copies AT&T to get something like this. My robo calls have increased a lot over the last year.

Pretty much the same two, always from a different number so no way I can block them.

The one is something about my credit card accounts, the other is IRS scam. I used to report the IRS one, but stopped because the calls don't ever stop.
 
shinji said:
When I open the app and login, it just keeps saying, "We are setting up your account. This may take a while. Please be patient."

When I login to my AT&T account, I can see that the feature was activated...but I can't get into the app?
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Same here. I see the feature has been added to my account but the app says be patient and has said so for about an hour now.
 
How do we feel about the intense terms of service passing a ton of info on to Hiya?
 
Glad to see AT&T implement this feature. Unless a number is in my contacts or if it's a local number, I generally just let it go to voicemail anyway.
 
TheAppleFairy said:
I downloaded the app and when I go to sign in I get. "Error No designated CTN - To add or update a wireless number for your AT&T Access ID ! "


NVM I thought I had to use my AT&T ID....looks like I have to create a new login for this app.
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My AT&T wireless ID worked.
 
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PhillyGuy72 said:
Nice, I downloaded it and se what happens. I NEVER give out my cell phone number to stores, apps that claim they require them, social media, etc etc or never fall for that text to some random sting of numbers Text "'OFFER' to 983892" (for example), but it simply doesn't matter. These dirtbags somehow find my phone number. the calls have been much more frequent lately! I have a ton of junk numbers on my "Block List"
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By using Call Protect you may very well jump from the frying pan into the fire. The app is actually a rebranded version of Hiya. The app uploads your contacts, your mobile number and possibly your call history to Hiya, and Hiya's privacy policy is somewhat vague as to what exactly they are allowed to do with your information.

FYI here's a quote from AT&T's terms:

2.7 CONSENT TO DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION:
In order to perform the functions of the Service, AT&T may disclose or allow the disclosure to our vendor Hiya of Your personal information, including without limitation mobile number, contacts/address book, and Application usage information, such as which numbers you report and/or manually block within the Application, as factors to determine which callers are suspected fraud and spam.

2.8 CONSENT TO DISCLOSE CUSTOMER PROPRIETARY NETWORK INFORMATION (CPNI):
BY USING AT&T CALL PROTECT, YOU CONSENT TO DISCLOSURE OF CPNI AS DISCUSSED IN THIS PARAGRAPH. To perform the functions of the Service, AT&T may disclose information regarding your AT&T wireless account, including call detail information, to our supplier, Hiya. Call detail information may include inbound and outbound phone calls, calling and called numbers, time and duration of calls, and whether you answer or end those calls. Hiya may use this information to improve the Service as well as to improve other call protection services Hiya offers or develops.
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H3LL5P4WN said:
Where can I find this on at&t's website? I'm not installing anything on my phone.
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It does not fully work without the app.
 
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Rigby said:
By using Call Protect you may very well jump from the frying pan into the fire. The app is actually a rebranded version of Hiya. The app uploads your contacts, your mobile number and possibly your call history to Hiya, and Hiya's privacy policy is somewhat vague as to what exactly they are allowed to do with your information.

FYI here's a quote from AT&T's terms:


[doublepost=1482337549][/doublepost]It does not fully work without the app.
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You are not required to allow access to contacts or call history. You can not allow contacts to be shared and turn off call history syncing. You are not even required to download the app, you can set it up from MyATT online. Downloading the app only gives you the ability to manually add calls to block, but iOS has that built in.
 
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Mlrollin91 said:
You are not required to allow access to contacts or call history. You can not allow contacts to be shared and turn off call history syncing. You are not even required to download the app, you can set it up from MyATT online. Downloading the app only gives you the ability to manually add calls to block, but iOS has that built in.
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So, do you think the best configuration is activate the service on MyATT and anything that makes it through that filter, just add it to blocked callers using the iOS feature? Or, install the app and manage through that?
 
gsmornot said:
So, do you think the best configuration is activate the service on MyATT and anything that makes it through that filter, just add it to blocked callers using the iOS feature? Or, install the app and manage through that?
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I plan on doing just that. iOS for manually blocking and MyATT for automatic blocking.
 
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Mlrollin91 said:
You are not required to allow access to contacts or call history. You can not allow contacts to be shared and turn off call history syncing. You are not even required to download the app, you can set it up from MyATT online. Downloading the app only gives you the ability to manually add calls to block, but iOS has that built in.
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Even if it was possible to block the app from uploading anything (which I doubt), you are still giving AT&T permission to directly share your CPNI with Hiya according to paragraph 2.8. Access to this information is regulated by federal law (Telecommunications Act of 1996) for good reason.
 
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