DonotcallListen

DonotcallListen is a framework and software suite intended to help enforce and respect do-not-call regulations in telecommunications. The name signals a dual aim: honoring consumer opt-out preferences and listening for compliance signals across networks.

Overview: The project maintains a centralized registry of numbers that have opted out of telemarketing and offers APIs that allow businesses to verify a number’s status in real time before launching a call. It also provides client-side tools for end users that can alert or block calls intended for numbers on the registry, depending on device capabilities.

Development: It originated as an open-source initiative developed by privacy advocates and telecommunications researchers who identified gaps in existing do-not-call systems, especially in cross-border or multi-jurisdictional contexts.

Operation and data flow: Numbers are stored in hashed form to reduce exposure. Regulators or trusted custodians maintain the registry, and participating businesses integrate via APIs to perform pre-call checks. A logging component records compliance events for enforcement and auditing.

Reception and limitations: Support has been uneven across regions. Proponents say it strengthens privacy and reduces unwanted calls; critics point to interoperability challenges, data-sharing concerns, and reliance on broad participation by regulators and industry.

See also: Do Not Call Registry; Telemarketing law; Privacy by design; Call blocking.