The FTC Wants You to Battle Robocallers

Are you tired of those annoying calls that are nothing more than a recorded sales pitch? Could you use $50,000? Are you good at creating technical solutions to problems? If so, then you should consider entering the FTC Robocall Challenge.

Robocalls can be described as a recorded message that is played as soon as (or sometimes, even before), a person picks up the phone. They are automatically dialed, and the audio quality is often very poor. People who receive these unwanted phone calls immediately realize that there isn’t an actual human on the other end of the line. A robot called them. The person then hangs up the phone, and grumbles about having his or her dinner interrupted.

The Federal Trade Commission is interested in battling robocallers for several reasons, (and not simply because they are annoying). These types of calls often consist of a sales pitch that is intentionally deceptive. The majority of robocalls are illegal because they break the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule. A person has to have given the commercial robocaller advance written permission to call them. If that permission has not been granted, then the telemarketer, (robotic or not) should not be calling.

The FTC Robocall Challenge can be entered for free. It is open to the public. Entries will be accepted as soon as October 25, 2012, and they will continue to be accepted until January 17, 2013. The FTC wants innovators to create solutions that will block illegal robocalls.

Your solution needs to block robocalls on both landlines and mobile phones. It must be able to operate on a proprietary or nonproprietary device or platform. You can enter the contest with a proposed technical solution, a functional solution, or proof of concept.

The individual, team, or small corporation (that employs less than 10 people), with the Best Overall Solution will win $50,000 in cash and a trip to Washington D.C to present the solution. Others will receive a Federal Trade Commission Technology Achievement Award. This is an honorary award that does not come with a cash prize.

Judging will be based on three criteria. Does it work? 50% of the score will be based on the answer to that question. Is it easy to use? That’s another 25%. The remaining 25% is based on another question. Can it be rolled out? Humanity’s battle against the robots is about to begin!

Image: A Fun Group Of Robot Toys by BigStock