If we thought we had definitively said goodbye to unwanted calls with the introduction of the new General Telecommunications Act, we would be Totally false. In fact, Google’s tool appears to have been more effective than the regulation itself.
I already knew the dangers of answering with a “Yes”, which is why I reverted to the traditional “Tell me”. However, now the happy “prior consent” appears as the door with which they cover their backs to continue calling me as many times as they want. Until I discovered this “magic” phrase which proved to be infallible.
Defeat the salesperson who calls you with a simple question
Organic Law 3/2018 of December 5 on the Protection of Personal Data and the Guarantee of Digital Rights, commonly known as the “Data Protection Law”, addresses the issue of commercial calls from the side of processing of personal information what companies do.
In each signature that we make to subscribe to a subscription or when subscribing to a telephone line, we transfer information, although what is really important is their processing. In no case does this imply that they can contact freelyYes, since we do not grant you this authorization through the consent I mentioned previously.
It is enough to take a look at the data protection regulations of our country, as my colleague Iván from Xataka Móvil did, to realize several aspects that are relevant for the user. First, the contacted company must disclose where it obtained the data from. On another side, random calls are completely prohibited nor should we receive them if we have not given our prior consent (article 66.1.b).
This really serves no purpose as they manage to circumvent these regulations with techniques such as robocalls. In the end, they end up randomly calling en masse, even though it has nothing to do with the magic phrase I mentioned at the beginning to fight him. What is this expression? A question that can leave telemarketers out of the game.
Knowing the implications of the Spanish “LOPD”, I ask the telephone operator where they managed to get my number. It will be enough to release a “How did you get my number?”, “Where did you find this number?” or similar. Typically, I have to insist more than I would like, but this way I will know first-hand how they got it: if I gave prior consent, mea culpa.
However, the normal thing will be an attitude of avoidance, and if the conversation continues without knowing the origin of the call, I can only threaten to file a complaint with the AEPD (Spanish Data Protection Agency). The latter is infallible: They will probably hang up and never call back.. For something it will be.
This is the technique I usually use, although at first I try to avoid them by paying close attention to the permissions I grant when opening an account in any service. Call filter on my Google Pixel also helps, in addition to blocking calls with hidden numbers. We never know what is behind it, and it may have commercial intent.
Cover image | Microsoft Designer Image Creator with editing
In Xataka Android | You Don’t Need an App to Get Rid of Work Calls: How to Set Your Phone to Avoid Them
