
Google Assistant will screen spam calls on the Pixel 3 - jbredeche
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/9/17955274/google-pixel-3-spam-calls-assistant-screen-filter
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proxygeek
It would be really amazing to have an option to engage with suspected
telemarketing callers using Google Duplex.

User experience: * Get a suspected telemarketing call * Ringer silent while
the in call UI waits for user to pick up * If ignored, call us picked up and
Duplex engages the caller to know about the offer and get other details * Call
transcribed; Optionally summarised and saved in cloud for later access by user

What Google gets: * More widespread use of Duplex with associated improvements
* Data from telemarketer, voice as well as offers information which can be
further analyzed for any beneficial purpose

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craftyguy
99.9% of the telemarketer calls I get are robocalls, and not likely to be of
any use to Google Dupelex. I suspect it's only a matter of time before that
google thing is weaponized against civilians by telemarketers paying google
for the service.

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josefresco
_When you tap the “screen call” button_

Uhg, no thanks. How about stopping them without interrupting me, or requiring
an action from me? My entire family gets these calls, my kids get the most. I
had to put their phones into "do not disturb" mode and only allow calls from
contacts which is a terrible band-aid.

~~~
advisedwang
As the article mentions, there is also call blocking for suspected spam:
[https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/13/17569544/google-phone-
app...](https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/13/17569544/google-phone-app-android-
spam-call-filtering-new-feature)

~~~
josefresco
I missed that! thanks - most likely I was thrown into a blind rage when I got
to the "When you tap the “screen call” button" and stopped reading. Shame on
me.

Since I use an older iPhone, I'm trying YouMail (now) but am not impressed.
Going to try Hiya next.

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pasbesoin
I almost hate to say it (thought doubtless it will be thought of, regardless),
but the spammer will know your number is a cell number. Cue the text messages,
et al.

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lowlevel
Not intersted. Give me a freaking white listed callers only mode. Don't need
cloud, google or anything complicated for that...

~~~
datguacdoh
That's built in already as part of the do not disturb feature. You can set a
list of important contacts that can always get through.

~~~
craftyguy
In stock Android, it doesn't quite work that way. Ideally, there would be a
built-in option to allow _only_ calls from folks in your contact list. You
miss out on _all_ notifications (e.g. from email, etc) when you use 'do not
disturb' this way.

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John_KZ
I can't wait until they start blocking people suspected for "online hate
speech". That's just one step away from filtering people's physical speech in
real time. Perhaps Google should make a pair of lightweight noise-cancelling
headphones that only allow government and Google-approved speech through. What
a time to be alive.

