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Anatel establishes new anti-spam rules for Brazilian telecom operators
Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has introduced new regulations for anti-spam systems used by telecommunications operators. The rules aim to combat abusive and fraudulent calls while preventing the accidental blocking of legitimate communications.
Under the new guidelines, anti-spam tools must be provided to all customers free of charge and enabled by default. Operators are required to inform users about the service and provide an option to manually deactivate it. To ensure technical accuracy, blocking decisions must be based on objective metrics, such as call volume and atypical duration, following principles of proportionality and non-discrimination.
The regulation strictly prohibits the blocking of numbers associated with essential public services, including health, security, civil defense, and fire departments. Additionally, operators must establish communication channels for users to contest blocked numbers, with a mandatory response time of up to 10 business days.
This regulatory move follows disputes involving Vivo's anti-spam system. At least seven companies reported that automated filters intercepted thousands of essential calls, including those from hospitals and municipal governments. The new measures have received support from the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
Entities
Anatel · Ministry of Communications · Ministry of Justice and Public Security · Vivo
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Blocking decisions must be based on technical metrics such as call volume and duration. www.metro1.com.br · poa24horas.com.br · exame.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Operators must provide channels for users to contest blocked numbers and respond to requests within 10 days. www.metro1.com.br · poa24horas.com.br · exame.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Anti-spam tools must be provided free of charge and activated by default for all customers. www.metro1.com.br · poa24horas.com.br · exame.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] At least seven companies filed complaints alleging that anti-spam tools, specifically Vivo's system, blocked thousands of legitimate calls. www.metro1.com.br · poa24horas.com.br · exame.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Anatel established new rules for anti-spam systems provided by telecommunications operators. www.metro1.com.br · poa24horas.com.br · exame.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Operators are prohibited from blocking numbers used by essential services, including health, security, civil defense, and fire departments. www.metro1.com.br · poa24horas.com.br · exame.com