{"id":697,"date":"2024-08-10T14:06:08","date_gmt":"2024-08-10T14:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/?p=697"},"modified":"2024-08-10T14:07:03","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T14:07:03","slug":"how-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/how-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages\/","title":{"rendered":"How to reclaim your cellphone and block unwelcome political textual content messages"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Text messages that come to your cellphone as spam messages are a nuisance at finest and a threat to your private safety at worst. But someplace in between lies a novel kind of spam textual content message that features propaganda to persuade you of whom to vote for within the upcoming election.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">Of course, this can be a nuisance, however is it additionally one thing greater than that? Something extra harmful that you just want to pay attention to?<\/p>\n<p>If you are receiving these unwelcome political textual content messages from fundraisers, this is what it&#8217;s essential find out about them and how one can reclaim your cellphone and block these messages for good. With the upcoming election, you need to be free to vote with none affect from strangers texting your cellphone. How did they get your quantity, anyway?<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>SIGN UP FOR FOR KURT\u2019S FREE NEWSLETTER AND GET INSTANT ACCESS TO THE CYBERGUY REPORT<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/343\/192\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/686\/384\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/672\/378\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1344\/756\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/931\/523\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1862\/1046\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/720\/405\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1440\/810\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1200\/675\/1-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"political text 1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>A person on his cellphone<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>What are political textual content messages?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Political textual content messages are communications despatched by way of SMS by political campaigns, get together committees, political motion committees (PACs) and curiosity teams. These messages purpose to solicit assist, funds, votes, gauge public opinion by means of surveys and supply details about political occasions and initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>Due to their excessive open charges and direct attain, they&#8217;ve develop into a preferred device in trendy campaigning. However, there&#8217;s a threat that such messages can backfire as a result of recipients could discover them intrusive and select to assist a distinct candidate as an alternative.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/343\/192\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/686\/384\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/672\/378\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1344\/756\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/931\/523\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1862\/1046\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/720\/405\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1440\/810\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1200\/675\/2-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-3-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"political text 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Political textual content message\u00a0<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>How to inform if a political textual content message is authentic<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As election season approaches, it is necessary to be vigilant in regards to the political textual content messages you obtain. While some could also be real communications from campaigns or organizations, others could possibly be scams designed to deceive you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here are some ideas that will help you decide the legitimacy of those messages:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Check for grammatical errors:<\/strong> Fake messages typically comprise poor grammar, spelling errors or awkward sentence constructions. Legitimate organizations sometimes guarantee their communications are free from such errors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Verify the supply:<\/strong> If you obtain a message claiming to be from a identified political marketing campaign or group, confirm it by contacting it straight utilizing a cellphone quantity or web site you belief, not the data offered within the message.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Look for unfamiliar numbers:<\/strong> Legitimate political campaigns often ship texts from recognized numbers. Scam texts typically come from unidentified or unusually lengthy numbers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Understand model communication:<\/strong> Familiarize your self with how political campaigns say they are going to contact you. Many organizations present pointers on their web sites about what authentic communications will appear to be.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/343\/192\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/686\/384\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/672\/378\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1344\/756\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/931\/523\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1862\/1046\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/720\/405\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1440\/810\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1200\/675\/3-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages-2.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"political text 3\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>An individual receiving textual content messages on a mobile phone\u00a0<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><u>THE 3 MOST DANGEROUS TECH THREATS TO THE 2024 ELECTIONS<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How did they get my quantity?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Political organizations typically acquire cellphone numbers from voter registration data, which embody names, addresses and phone info of registered voters. These data are public and may be accessed by anybody concerned in political communications.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, political teams could buy cellphone numbers from knowledge brokers who compile intensive profiles utilizing numerous knowledge factors, together with on-line exercise, subscriptions and demographic info. Essentially, even when you have not straight given these campaigners your cellphone quantity, they&#8217;ve discovered it on-line another means.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PRIVATE DATA FROM THE INTERNET<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Can these messages imply that they&#8217;ll take my info?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While the messages themselves sometimes don&#8217;t extract private info straight, responding to or partaking with these texts can contribute to the info profiles that political organizations preserve.<\/p>\n<p>Each interplay offers extra knowledge factors that can be utilized to refine outreach methods. However, be cautious of hyperlinks inside these messages as a result of they might doubtlessly result in <u>phishing makes an attempt<\/u> if not from a authentic supply.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What guidelines govern political texts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the factor. You&#8217;d assume the <u>Do Not Call Registry<\/u> would assist, however, sadly, it does not cowl political stuff. And these federal legal guidelines about cellphone communications? They&#8217;re not a lot assist both.<\/p>\n<p>Why? Well, it is type of a sticky state of affairs. See, lawmakers are fearful about stepping on First Amendment toes. Plus \u2014 let&#8217;s be sincere \u2014 they should attain voters themselves. So, they are not precisely dashing to place up obstacles.<\/p>\n<p>Now, there may be one rule. Political teams cannot use auto dialers to spam you with texts except you have stated it is OK. But this is the catch. The Supreme Court outlined auto dialers in a means that lets a variety of texting tech off the hook.<\/p>\n<p>So, what does this imply for you? Well, in the event you&#8217;ve ever appreciated a political meme, taken a web based survey about democracy or donated to a trigger, you would possibly&#8217;ve put your self on their radar. It&#8217;s like open season for political texters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/343\/192\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/686\/384\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/672\/378\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1344\/756\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/931\/523\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1862\/1046\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/720\/405\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1440\/810\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1200\/675\/4-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"political text 4\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>A person receiving a political textual content message on his smartphone\u00a0<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong><u>HOW AI COULD MANIPULATE VOTERS AND UNDERMINE ELECTIONS, THREATENING DEMOCRACY\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Best methods to cease political textual content messages and keep protected in your cellphone<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Block the contact<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If you recurrently obtain calls and messages from the identical quantity, you may block it to stop these calls and texts from reaching you. This is efficient if the messages come from the identical quantity however could also be much less efficient if the sender makes use of a number of numbers.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>On iPhone<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the<strong> Messages app<\/strong> and find the political textual content message.<\/li>\n<li>Tap on the <strong>message<\/strong> to open it.<\/li>\n<li>Tap on the <strong>cellphone quantity<\/strong> or <strong>contact identify<\/strong> on the high of the display screen.<\/li>\n<li>Tap on the<strong> &#8220;i<\/strong>&#8221; info icon.<\/li>\n<li>Scroll down and choose <strong>&#8220;Block this Caller.&#8221;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Confirm by tapping <strong>&#8220;Block Contact.&#8221;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>On Android<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>S<i>ettings could fluctuate relying in your Android cellphone\u2019s producer\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the <strong>Messages<\/strong> <strong>app<\/strong> and discover the political textual content message.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tap<\/strong> and<strong> maintain the message<\/strong> till a menu seems.<\/li>\n<li>Tap on the <strong>&#8220;Block&#8221;<\/strong> possibility (this may also be labeled as &#8220;Block number&#8221; or &#8220;Add to Spam&#8221; relying in your system).<\/li>\n<li>Confirm by tapping<strong> &#8220;OK&#8221;<\/strong> or <strong>&#8220;Block.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>2. Reply and\/or file a complaint<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Responding to the text with <strong>&#8220;Stop,<\/strong>&#8221; <strong>&#8220;Unsubscribe<\/strong>&#8221; or <strong>&#8220;Cancel&#8221;<\/strong> can opt you out of future communications from that sender. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also provides options to report unsolicited texts by forwarding them to 7726 (&#8220;SPAM&#8221;) or filing a complaint online.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/343\/192\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/686\/384\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/672\/378\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1344\/756\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/931\/523\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1862\/1046\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/720\/405\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1440\/810\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1200\/675\/5-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"political text 5\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Responding to a text with Stop\u00a0<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>3. Delete and report junk<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>On both iPhone and Android, you can delete and report unwanted messages as junk. Here&#8217;s how:<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>On iPhone:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If a sender isn\u2019t in your contact list and you haven\u2019t replied, you\u2019ll see a <strong>&#8220;Report Junk&#8221;<\/strong> option below the message.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>this option<\/strong> to delete the message and confirm your decision by clicking <strong>Delete and Report Junk<\/strong> to report it to Apple and your carrier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>Android:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>S<i>ettings may vary depending on your Android phone\u2019s manufacturer\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the <strong>Messages app<\/strong> and find the unwanted message.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tap<\/strong> and<strong> hold<\/strong> <strong>the message<\/strong> until a menu appears.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>&#8220;Report Spam&#8221;<\/strong> or <strong>&#8220;Report Junk&#8221;<\/strong> from the menu.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confirm the action<\/strong> to delete the message and report it to your carrier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/343\/192\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/686\/384\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/672\/378\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1344\/756\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/931\/523\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1862\/1046\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/720\/405\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1440\/810\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/1200\/675\/6-How-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"political text 6\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Report junk and delete and report junk on iPhone<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>4. Filter unknown senders<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Both iPhone and Android have features to filter messages from unknown senders, reducing interruptions from unwanted texts.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>On iPhone:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the <strong>Settings app.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Scroll down and select <strong>Messages.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Scroll down again to <strong>&#8220;Filter Unknown Senders&#8221;<\/strong> and toggle it <strong>on.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><u>On Android:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>S<i>ettings may vary depending on your Android phone\u2019s manufacturer\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open the <strong>Messages app.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Tap the<strong> three-dot menu icon<\/strong> in the top-right corner.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>&#8220;Settings&#8221;<\/strong> from the dropdown menu.<\/li>\n<li>Choose <strong>&#8220;Spam safety.<\/strong>&#8220;<\/li>\n<li>Toggle on <strong>&#8220;Enable spam safety<\/strong>&#8221; to filter messages from unknown senders into a separate folder<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>5. Contact the political campaign<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As a last resort, you can contact the campaign\u2019s office to report the message. This could help prevent future communications and bring the issue to the campaign&#8217;s attention, especially if they are not following best practices.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. Invest in personal data removal services<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To further reduce the number of unwanted political text messages, consider investing in personal data removal services. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. <u>Check out my top picks for data removal services here.\u00a0<\/u><\/p>\n<h3><strong>7. Never click on links in political texts<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Be cautious of links, and do not click links in political texts because they may contain malware or lead to fraudulent websites. Also, be aware that some political texts may be fake, designed to mislead or defraud you. Scammers often disguise themselves as legitimate political campaigns, nonprofits or government agencies to exploit the election season&#8217;s heightened communication. These fake texts may attempt to extract personal information or solicit fraudulent donations by creating a sense of urgency or panic.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. <u>Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android &amp; iOS devices<\/u>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>THE &#8220;DO NOT CALL&#8221; LIST LOOPHOLE: WHY YOUR PHONE STILL WON&#8217;T STOP RINGING\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kurt&#8217;s key takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Political text messages may be a nuisance, but they can also pose risks to your privacy and influence your voting decisions. As the election approaches, it&#8217;s essential to take control of your phone and block these unwanted messages. Remember, your vote is your voice. Don\u2019t let it be drowned out by unsolicited texts. By understanding how to manage these communications, you can focus on making informed choices this election season, free from outside influence.<\/p>\n<p>Have you ever received a political text message? What did it say? Did they keep coming? Did you try one of these methods to try and stop it? \u00a0Let us know by writing us at<strong> <\/strong><strong><u>Cyberguy.com\/Contact<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to <strong><u>Cyberguy.com\/Newsletter<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><u>Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you&#8217;d like us to cover<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Follow Kurt on his social channels<\/p>\n<p>Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.\u00a0 All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News &amp; FRESH Business beginning mornings on &#8220;FRESH &amp; Friends.&#8221; Got a tech query? Get Kurt\u2019s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a narrative thought or remark at CyberGuy.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/tech\/how-reclaim-your-phone-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Text messages that come to your cellphone as spam messages are a nuisance at finest and a threat to your private safety at worst. But someplace in between lies a novel kind of spam textual content message that features propaganda to persuade you of whom to vote for within the upcoming election.\u00a0 Of course, [&hellip;] <a class=\"g1-link g1-link-more\" href=\"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/how-to-reclaim-your-phone-and-block-unwelcome-political-text-messages\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[131],"tags":[],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tech"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=697"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":700,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697\/revisions\/700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=697"},{"taxonomy":"adace-sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clickmen.us\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/adace-sponsor?post=697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}