Political texts can be annoying, here’s how to prevent them from becoming annoying
Are you tired of receiving messages from strange numbers begging for another $25, sometimes just hours after you’ve donated to a candidate you care about? You’re certainly not alone — this experience has recently gained even more attention as political fundraising has exploded In recent months, more and more people have been exposed to these automated political texts as election day approaches.
While these messages may seem endless, especially during the heated days of a presidential race, there is always a way to stop them — because these fundraising entities are required by law to ask for your consent for automated messages. Read on for more details on modern fundraising practices and what you can do to better keep the fundraisers at bay.
For more information to help prepare for election season, read about finding your state’s early voting window and how to determine your registration status.
Why do campaigns send so many automated messages?
Automated messages have become a key component of political outreach efforts in the digital age. Text messages in particular have become a powerful tool for campaign fundraising. Speak With Time magazine, Alex Quilici, CEO of call-blocking company YouMail, explained that text messages are more cost-effective than physical mail or phone calls, and they tend to drive more engagement. This is especially true among young people, he added, who are more likely to respond to text messages from numbers they don’t recognize than to phone calls.
How can I stop the political texts and emails?
The Federal Communications Commission, also known as the FCC, requires that these political fundraising organizations obtain your consent for automated messages. This also means that you can opt out of these messages if you wish.
Most text messages you receive for political fundraising purposes will include some sort of instruction on how to stop the messages (usually by texting back “STOP”). It’s also possible to try to avoid these messages to begin with, with fundraising companies like ActBlue and WinRed indicating that adding your phone number to their forms is optional.
However, adding your email address is usually not optional. To unsubscribe from future fundraising emails, you will need to scroll to the bottom of each message you receive and find a link that will allow you to unsubscribe from the current mailing list. You may need to do this a few times for different fundraising messages, as your information may have ended up on multiple lists used by fundraising activities.
What can I do against phishing fraud?
If you suspect that an email you’ve received isn’t your average annoying fundraising request, but a phishing scam in disguise, you should do two things: first, never click on their links or give them any information about yourself. Second, forward the message to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org.
Read what every major presidential candidate has said about child support here.
