Billion political texts flood phones before midterms

Political text messages are surging ahead of the US midterm elections, with estimates placing the volume between 25 billion and 30 billion messages this year. Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, provided the informal approximation, noting the figure is roughly equal to or 10 percent higher than 2024 levels. Call-blocking company Robokiller recorded 15 billion political texts in 2022, a volume partly driven by a Supreme Court decision that eased mass messaging rules.

The influx stems from data brokers who sell voter information to campaigns. These brokers aggregate data from public voter rolls, online tracking, and loyalty programs to infer likely donors and voters. This process often results in errors, such as texts sent to old addresses or people who never lived in the target state. Sara Geoghegan, director of the consumer privacy program at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, described the ecosystem as unregulated, lacking rules to ensure accuracy or privacy impact.

Political texts are exempt from do-not-call list rules, leaving consumers with limited immediate options. Teresa Murray, director of the PIRG consumer watchdog, advised users to reply with stop or report numbers as spam to carriers. She noted that carriers may block or label numbers if enough reports accumulate in a short period. Consumers can also file complaints with the Federal Communications Commission or state attorneys general if they suspect unauthorized autodialer use.

Murray warned that legitimate campaign messages are mixed with scams. She recommended avoiding links in texts from unknown numbers and directing donations through official candidate websites or political action committee pages. This practice helps verify the recipient of funds while reducing exposure to fraudulent schemes.

Data brokers continue to collect information even from non-donors through digital footprints. Geoghegan expressed frustration that individuals must constantly adjust privacy settings while companies trade in sensitive data. She argued that firms using surveillance technologies should stop harmful practices to encourage civic engagement, rather than pushing voters away.

The annoyance of constant texts may discourage future political participation. Geoghegan cited a recent conversation where a person asked why they should donate again after being added to multiple lists. Murray suggested using a Voice over IP number, such as a Google Voice account, to isolate political messages from primary phone lines. She limited her own use of personal numbers to reduce this exposure.

Long-term fixes likely depend on legislative action or regulatory pressure. Murray encouraged voters to contact representatives to urge the FCC to address the issue. She acknowledged that individual actions may not solve the problem immediately but can help shape future rules. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, after which the volume of these messages should decrease.