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Re:Let’s Destroy Robocalls by biztos on Monday March 04, 2019 @04:40PM (#19305848)
That sounds plausible, but then why are robocalls not a problem in Europe?

I have two EU numbers and have never gotten a robocall on either of them. I have never heard of anyone getting a robocall in Europe, and while that might just be anecdata I think I would have heard something after two decades, especially in privacy-minded Germany.

When I get off the plane in San Francisco and activate my American SIM card, I usually have my first robocall before I get my first beer. And my mother gets so many on her land line, she always screens her calls.

What is Europe doing right here that America is doing wrong?

Re:Let’s Destroy Robocalls by silvestrov on Monday March 04, 2019 @04:54PM (#19305978)
Denmark: almost all (cold) sales calls are forbidden by law.

Exceptions are sales of books, newspapers, insurance, and research (e.g. Gallup). There is also a "do not call" list that blocks all such calls.

In Danish: https://www.forbrugerombudsmanden.dk/hvad-gaelder/markedsfoe...

Re:Let’s Destroy Robocalls by Scoundreller on Monday March 04, 2019 @05:48PM (#19306448)
The exclusions sound... arbitrary?

I get the research exemption, and i’m Happy about a politics exemption, but why books, newspapers and insurance?

Why not bicycles or theatre or education?

Re:Let’s Destroy Robocalls by flemming_geir on Tuesday March 05, 2019 @05:10AM (#19309507)
Probably just grandfathered in. I'm guessing at the time of legislation, these things were commonly sold via cold sales calls.
Re:Let’s Destroy Robocalls by esotericn on Monday March 04, 2019 @07:56PM (#19307210)
I get tons of these in the UK to the extent that as others have posted I treat my phone as being whitelisted.

I don't even know what most of them are. From times when I've been expecting important calls and checked, the most common is probably accident claims. Some of them aren't even automated.

Re:Let’s Destroy Robocalls by Scoundreller on Monday March 04, 2019 @05:50PM (#19306465)
France gets them a lot. Often it’s “DHL” calling and you have to pay some fee to release a package.

Likely because cheap francophone labour is available in similar time zones.

Re:Let’s Destroy Robocalls by flerchin on Monday March 04, 2019 @05:36PM (#19306329)
Language barrier.