Posted on July 11, 2022
Free Press Action: Fighting for Your Rights to Connect and Communicate
Note from the CREDO team: This July, Free Press Action is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will help Free Press hold media and tech companies accountable for corrupting policymaking and amplifying bigotry, conspiracy theories and disinformation.
Read this important blog post from Craig Aaron and Jessica J. González, co-CEOs of Free Press Action, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this July.
Free Press Action fights every day to make media and technology work for people. The organization has been at the forefront of efforts to challenge Big Media and Big Tech for nearly two decades, from campaigns to save Net Neutrality and stop illegal spying to taking on Fox News, Facebook and armies of industry lobbyists.
Our rights to connect and communicate have never been more important — or more endangered. Disinformation, distrust and despair have never been higher, and our media system is one of the main reasons why. Free Press Action is pushing to transform media and tech, pursue racial justice and make policies that actually help people and improve their daily lives.
Free Press Action makes sure your voice is actually heard by decision-makers in Congress and at federal agencies, calls out corporations that abuse their power, and creates innovative policy solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our economy, democracy and society.
Your vote in July will help Free Press Action’s team of advocates, researchers and organizers to:
Protect Your Most Private Data: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, it’s become clear that law enforcement, government officials and others could weaponize our personal online data to investigate, harass and take legal action against people seeking abortions. Free Press Action’s new #HandsOffMyData campaign is confronting these abuses: The organization is working with lawmakers to pass data-privacy legislation and is pressuring tech platforms to keep individuals’ locations, searches and data safe. Free Press Action is pushing for privacy legislation and Federal Trade Commission regulations that include strong civil-rights protections.
Fight Hate and Disinformation Online: Hate and disinformation threaten public health, safety, racial justice, human rights and fair elections. To push social-media companies to combat hate and disinformation, Free Press Action leads campaigns like the Stop Hate for Profit ad boycott, which inspired more than 1,100 major companies to suspend advertising on Facebook. Free Press Action also co-founded Change the Terms — a coalition of grassroots and civil-rights groups — that calls on tech platforms to adopt model policies against hateful and deceitful content. Leading up to November’s midterm elections, Free Press Action has united dozens of civil-rights groups through #FixTheFeed, a campaign to get social-media companies to stop amplifying content that threatens election integrity.
Restore Net Neutrality and Close the Digital Divide: Free Press Action is the group that first made a national issue of Net Neutrality — the rules that safeguard the free and open internet from discrimination and interference by internet service providers. The group is working to repair the damage the Trump administration did to these fundamental protections, advocate for progressive appointments to the Federal Communications Commission, and make sure everyone has affordable and reliable internet access. Most recently, Free Press Action pushed the Biden administration and Congress to commit $65 billion to close the digital divide — and it’s working to ensure these public funds actually go to the people and communities that need it most.
Get Local Communities the News and Information They Need: Free Press Action works across the country to reinvent local journalism and build strong connections between newsrooms and the communities they’re supposed to serve. The organization pushes for public funding and innovative journalism projects focused on serving and representing local communities. For example, in New Jersey, Free Press Action dreamed up, campaigned for and passed the Civic Info Bill, which created an independent trust to support local-news coverage – the first new public funding for high-quality journalism created in a generation, and a model for other states.
Reimagine and Build a Media System That Represents All of Us: Free Press Action works to reimagine the future of media and technology, design new policies and structures, and develop the political and cultural organizing strategies to actually get there. The group’s projects include Media 2070, which explores how media and tech have harmed Black people and considers what reparations should look like. This visionary project is just one example of how Free Press Action’s work is grounded in a commitment to racial justice and building a true multiracial democracy.
The support of CREDO members ensures that Free Press Action can hold politicians and policymakers accountable, amplify underrepresented voices in the halls of power, and help mobilize millions at moments when public pressure can make all the difference. CREDO activists have been important allies in many of Free Press Action’s campaigns and your vote of support will help power the organization’s work at this crucial time. Thank you!
Posted on July 11, 2022
Security and Privacy Tips for People Seeking An Abortion
With the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, many people are rightfully worried about accessing abortion services while protecting their digital privacy and security. We felt it was extremely important to share this article, with permission, from our grantee partners at the Electronic Frontier Foundation with some tips regarding data security and privacy if you plan to seek reproductive care, especially if you live in a state with cruel or highly restrictive abortion laws.
Given the shifting state of the law, people seeking an abortion, or any kind of reproductive healthcare that might end with the termination of a pregnancy, may need to pay close attention to their digital privacy and security. We’ve previously covered how those involved in the abortion access movement can keep themselves and their communities safe. We’ve also laid out a principled guide for platforms to respect user privacy and rights to bodily autonomy. This post is a guide specifically for anyone seeking an abortion and worried about their digital privacy. There is a lot of crossover with the tips outlined in the previously mentioned guides; many tips bear repeating.
We are not yet sure how companies may respond to law enforcement requests for any abortion related data, and you may not have much control over their choices. But you can do a lot to control who you are giving your information to, what kind of data they get, and how it might be connected to the rest of your digital life.
Keep This Data Separate from Your Daily Activities
If you are worried about legal pressure, the most important thing to remember is to keep these activities separate from less sensitive ones. This can be done many ways, but the underlying idea is to keep that information compartmentalized away from other aspects of your “regular” life. This makes it harder to trace back to you.
Choosing a separate browser with hardened privacy settings is an easy and free start. Browsers like Brave, Firefox, and DuckDuckGo on mobile are all easy-to-use options that come with hardened privacy settings out of the box. It’s a good idea to look into the “preferences” menu of whichever browser you choose, and raise the privacy settings even further. It’s also a good idea to turn off this browser’s features to remember browsing history and site data/cookies. Here’s what that looks like in Firefox’s “Privacy and Security” menu:
Firefox’s cookies and history options in its privacy menu
How to turn off Firefox’s feature that remembers browser history
If you are calling clinics or healthcare providers, consider keeping a secondary phone number like Google Voice (which is free), Hushed, or Burner (both Hushed and Burner are paid apps, but have significantly better privacy policies than Google Voice). Having a separate email address, especially one that is made with privacy and security in mind, is also a good idea. Some email services you might consider are Tutanota and Protonmail.
Mobile Privacy
One way to protect your privacy is to get a “burner phone” – meaning a phone that’s not connected to your normal cell phone account. But keeping a super secure burner phone may be hard for many people. If so, consider reviewing the privacy settings on your current cell phone to see what information is being collected about you, who is collecting it, and what they might do with it.
If you’re using a period tracker app already, carefully examine its privacy settings. If you can, consider switching to a more privacy-focused app. Euki, for example, promises not to store any user information.
Turn off ad identifiers on your phone. We’ve laid out a guide for doing so on iOS and Android here. This restricts individual apps’ abilities to track your behavior when you use them, and limits their sharing of that information with others.
While you’re at it, it’s a good idea to review the other permissions that apps have on your phone, especially location services. For apps that require location data for their core functionality (such as Google Maps), choose an option like “While Using” that only gives the app permission to view your location when it’s open (remember to fully close out of those apps when you are finished using them).
If you have a “Find My” feature turned on for your phone, like Apple’s function to see where your phone is from your other computers, you will want to consider turning that off before traveling to or from a location you don’t want someone else being able to see you visit.
If you’re traveling to or from a location (such as a clinic or a rally) where there is a likelihood law enforcement may stop you or seize your device, or if you’re often near someone who may look into your phone without permission, turning off biometric unlocking is a good idea. This means turning off any feature for unlocking your phone using your face ID or fingerprint. Instead you should opt for a passcode that is difficult to guess (like all passwords: make it long, unique, and random).
Since you are likely using your phone to text and call others that will share similar data privacy and security concerns as you, it’s a good idea to download Signal, an end-to-end-encrypted messaging app. For a more thorough walkthrough, check out this guide for Android and this for iOS.
Lock & Encrypt
Anticipating how data on your devices might be seized as evidence is a scary thought. You don’t need to know how encryption works, but checking to make sure it’s turned on for all your devices is vital. Android and iOS devices have full-disk encryption on by default (though it doesn’t hurt to check). Doing the same for your laptops and other computers is just as important. It’s likely that encryption is on by default for your operating system, but it’s worthwhile to check. Here is how to check for MacOS, and also for Windows. Linux users ought to check for guides for their choice of distribution and how to enable full disk encryption from there.
Delete & Turn Off
Deleting things from your phone or computer isn’t as easy as it sounds. For sensitive data, you want to make sure it’s done right.
When deleting images from your phone, make sure to remove them from “recently deleted” folders. Here is a guide on permanently deleting from iOS. Similar to iOS, Android’s Google Photos app requires you to delete photos from its “Bin” folder where it stores recently deleted images for a period of time.
For your computer, using “secure deletion” features on either Windows or MacOS is a good call, but are not as important as making sure full disk encryption is turned on (discussed in the above section)
If you’re especially worried that someone might learn about a specific location you are traveling to or, simply turning off your phone and leaving your laptop at home is the easiest and most foolproof solution. Only you can decide if the risk outweighs the benefit of keeping your phone on when traveling to or from a clinic or abortion rally. For more reading, here is our guide on safely attending a protest, which may be useful for you to make that decision for yourself.
Posted on July 7, 2022
8 Cool Tips to Keep Your Smartphone from Overheating
It’s getting hot out there, and as the planet warms from climate change, it’s bound to get even hotter.
That also means your phone is becoming more susceptible to overheating — which can spell trouble. A hot phone can quickly drain your battery, damage internal components or even start a fire. Not good.
Before you throw your phone in the pool to cool it down, we’ll show you how to keep your smartphone from overheating in the first place and keep it working properly during these hot summer days.
First thing’s first, if your smartphone displays a warning screen that it is overheating and you want to use your device as quickly as possible, immediately turn off your device, move it to a cooler location and let it cool down.
However, you can take some easy steps to prevent it from overheating in the first place. Here’s how:
Avoid direct sun
It’s easy to forget that you’ve left your smartphone in the sun, especially at the beach or outside with friends or family. Luckily, iIf you have a newer phone, it should automatically shut down to protect the internal components — but at that point, it may be too late.
The easiest way to prevent your phone from overheating is to beat the heat. Keep your phone out of direct sunlight when you’re outside. If you’re feeling hot, then your phone is, too.
Don’t leave your phone in a hot car
Likewise, a hot car can spell trouble for your smartphone. The inside of a car parked in direct sun in the summer can reach temperatures of over 150º F. That’s why most phone manufacturers recommend that you do not leave your phone inside a hot car, either.
Apple, for example, recommends that your phone should be stored at temperatures between -4º to 113º F, and that you should not “leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.” Samsung states that the temperature of your Galaxy device may be affected if you are “using your devices in an environment outside of normal operating conditions (between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit).”
Remove your case
If you have a case on your phone, it may be trapping some thermal energy from the battery or other components.
Take off your case and let your phone begin to cool down.
Switch up the settings
There are a few steps you can take inside your phone’s settings to keep your device from getting too hot, especially if you’re already in a warm environment:
- Turn on Airplane mode and/or turn off data
- Turn down screen brightness
- Turn on Power Save Mode or Low Battery Mode
- Keep your phone’s operating system and apps updated
Use a fan — not the freezer
Popping your smartphone in the freezer after overheating may damage internal components since rapidly cooling your phone could create condensation and moisture that can wreak havoc on your device.
Instead, try putting your phone in front of a fan. It should cool much more slowly and hopefully protect your device from cooling too quickly.
Give your phone a rest
If you’re worried that your phone might overheat — or it’s already getting warm — try giving your phone a rest. Certain tasks and applications, like gaming, streaming, video editing or even high speed charging can increase processing power or warm your battery. Try sticking to scrolling social media or putting your phone in the shade for a little while to cool your device down.
Use recommended chargers
Some users report that inexpensive, so-called “off brand” chargers can cause a phone to overheat, which could damage your device. While other chargers may work perfectly fine, we typically recommend that you use chargers and cables made by the manufacturers of your phone. You can find replacement accessories at Apple, Samsung or Google.
Still overheating?
If your phone is continuously overheating, you may need to contact the manufacturer or take your device to a professional to diagnose the problem. The overheating may be caused by a faulty battery or other device components and may be covered by a service plan or warranty, depending on the issue or the age of your device.
It might be a great time to consider upgrading your phone, too! At CREDO, we offer the best phones on the nation’s best network. And just by using our phones and services, you can help us contribute more to great nonprofit organizations fighting for climate justice, like 350,org, the Sunrise Movement, and Friends of the Earth. In fact, we’ve donated more than $20 million to climate justice organizations — and over $93 million in total to progressive nonprofit groups since 1985.
Visit CREDOMobile.com and find which phones and plans work best for you!
Posted on July 5, 2022
Vote for American Civil Liberties Union, Brady: United Against Gun Violence and Free Press Action this July
Every month, CREDO members vote to distribute our monthly grant to three incredible progressive causes – and every vote makes a difference. This July, you can support civil rights, gun violence prevention and digital rights by voting to fund American Civil Liberties Union, Brady: United Against Gun Violence and Free Press Action.
American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU will never stop fighting for a person’s right to decide when and if to have a child. The organization will continue to fight in the courts, in statehouses, and in Congress, at the ballot box through ballot measures and other races, and in the streets. This isn’t over.
The ACLU are fighting the most restrictive and oppression laws to abortion access and reproductive healthcare than ever before. With Roe v. Wade overturned, through this funding, we are able to mobilize and work with partner organizations to challenge these outrageous bills.
Brady: United Against Gun Violence
For more than 40 years, Brady has united gun owners and non-gun owners alike in the fight against gun violence. With targeted programs designed to tackle the root causes of gun violence in America, Brady works to ensure that every community is safer.
Support from CREDO will bolster Brady’s on-the-ground programs in areas most impacted by gun violence, help them hold the gun industry accountable in court, promote safe gun storage, and more.
Free Press Action
Free Press Action advocates for equitable and just media policy. The organization works to clean up disinformation around our elections, disrupt organized hate online, fight for affordable internet access, secure Net Neutrality and revive local journalism.
Your support will protect the open Internet, fair elections and digital civil rights. Free Press Action will hold media and tech companies accountable for corrupting policymaking and amplifying bigotry, conspiracy theories and disinformation.
Your vote this month will determine how we divide our monthly donations among these three progressive groups. Be sure to cast your vote to support one, two or all three by July 31.
CREDO members who use our products and services everyday are the reason we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile and join our movement.
Posted on July 1, 2022
Our June grantees thank you for your support
Our June grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible nonprofits. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups working for economic justice, LGBTQ rights and peace. In June, CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation among Economic Policy Institute, Transgender Law Center and Win Without War. These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our June grant recipients thank you.
Economic Policy Institute
“Thank you! CREDO members like you are invaluable to our work. Your support helps us to do the crucial research, data analysis, and policy work that the broad progressive movement uses to fight for economic justice for working people and for racial and gender justice.” – Heidi Shierholz, President, Economic Policy Institute
To learn more, visit www.EPI.org.
Transgender Law Center
“From all of us at TLC, thank you CREDO Mobile for your wonderful support over many years. Your partnership means we continue to create a path to freedom for everyone, centering trans Black, Indigenous and people of color, who hold the knowledge, power, and joy to create a future where we can all not only survive but thrive.” – Kris Hayashi, Executive Director
To learn more, visit transgenderlawcenter.org.
Win Without War
“For nearly 20 years, CREDO members like you have fueled Win Without War’s fearless fight to fix a deeply broken U.S. foreign policy. Together, we’ve mobilized thousands of activists to join us in creating a more just and peaceful world. Thank you!” – Sara Haghdoosti, Executive Director, Win Without War
To learn more, visit winwithoutwar.org.
Now check out the three groups we are funding in July, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on June 30, 2022
A grocery store in Buffalo. Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Parkland. Sandy Hook. Las Vegas Route 91. Charleston. Pulse nightclub. Enough is enough.
Note from the CREDO team: This July, Brady: United Against Gun Violence is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will help Brady bolster its on-the-ground programs in areas most impacted by gun violence, help it hold the gun industry accountable in court, promote safe gun storage and more.
Read this important blog post from Brady’s Grants Coordinator Meera Marhoefer, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this July.
Gun violence in America is a national emergency and a raging public health epidemic. Every day, more than 300 people are shot and more than 100 are killed with guns. Gun violence has become the leading cause of death for children in America. It causes low birthweight babies in our impacted communities because of the stress faced by mothers. It costs our healthcare system $3.5 billion a year. It rips apart families and loved ones. And yet it’s entirely preventable — if we enact sensible solutions.
Gun violence is a complex public health issue with many forms. Complex issues call for comprehensive solutions — and that’s what Brady has been leading the charge on for more than 40 years. Our philosophy at Brady is that we must work across Congress, courts, and our communities in order to end our nation’s gun violence epidemic and save lives.
Winning Lifesaving Legislation Across Congress and Statehouses
On the heels of the tragedy in Uvalde, we are at a turning point in the movement to end gun violence. Thanks to Americans everywhere rising up to join us in demanding action, Congress just passed the first gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years. The last time this happened was when our namesakes, Jim and Sarah Brady, passed the 1993 Brady Background Check Bill. After decades of deadly federal inaction, this legislative progress is the breakthrough our movement needs to save lives. But we need to ensure it’s just the first step of many.
With your support, we’re making life-saving progress in state legislatures across the country. We helped lead New York in passing a package of 10 lifesaving gun violence prevention bills — one of which will implement handgun ‘microstamping, helping law enforcement solve gun crime and end cycles of violence. We also worked with Maryland and Illinois to ban homemade, untraceable “ghost guns” and the parts and kits used to build them. In Washington State, we banned ghost guns and high-capacity magazines. In both Washington and Colorado, we passed legislation to protect our democracy by keeping guns away from polling places. And in Delaware, in honor of Keshall ‘KeKe’ Anderson, a Brady Legal client who was shot and killed, the state passed the nation’s first bill to repeal unparalleled gun industry protections that block gun violence victims and survivors from having their day in court.
Changing Cultural Norms and Promoting Responsible Gun Ownership
Every day, eight kids are unintentionally injured or killed as a result of family fire, which is a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun from the home. Our nonpartisan End Family Fire program educates gun owners about the lifesaving role of safe firearm storage to prevent these tragedies. Unintentional shootings, suicide, and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire; which has an outsized impact on young people, the veteran community, and firearm owners.
But End Family Fire is making a lifesaving difference. Our latest polling shows that 73% of gun owners who have seen our safe storage ads agree that storing all of their guns locked and unloaded reduces the risk of someone dying by suicide in their home — a stark increase from when we launched the campaign years ago. We know that only when the gun-owning community is welcomed into the conversation will we truly be able to End Family Fire.
Winning Legal Reforms and Taking the Gun Industry to Court
Brady Legal is our nation’s longest-standing public interest law organization. We take on the gun industry in court, holding it accountable, preventing gun trafficking and illegal sales, and saving lives. We represent victims of gun violence against gun companies who negligently supply or make guns and we reform the gun industry through impactful litigation. Through our litigation efforts against the corporate gun lobby, we have won over $30 million dollars in settlements and verdicts for victims and their families.
Posted on June 30, 2022
Supreme Court Reverses Roe v. Wade — Support the ACLU to Defend Our Fundamental Rights
Note from the CREDO team: This June, the ACLU is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Read this important blog post from Justin Rodriguez, Manager, Corporate Engagement at ACLU below, then click here to visit CREDODonations.com to cast your vote to help determine how we distribute our monthly grant to this organization and our other amazing grantees this June.
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a shameful ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the nearly 50-year-old landmark decision recognizing the federal constitutional right to abortion. The ruling in the case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, will allow anti-abortion politicians in states across the country to ban abortion and force millions of people to remain pregnant and have children against their will.
This decision revokes the federal constitutional right to abortion and our agency over our lives and futures. This is an outrageous attack on women’s rights and the bodily autonomy of everyone who can become pregnant, and the effects will be immediate and far-reaching.
Regardless of this horrendous decision, abortion is still our right. We all deserve the power to control our bodies, lives, and futures. Abortion is also health care. Access should not depend on where we live, how much money we make, or who we are.
What comes next for abortion rights?
- Abortion may be banned in nearly half of the country, affecting more than 36 million people.
- This will have an immediate and devastating impact on both public health and personal freedom. Banning abortion does not eliminate the need for this kind of care – rather, it will force people to seek abortion outside of the health care system. No one should be forced to carry a pregnancy against their will and face the life-altering consequences of being denied essential health care.
- This unprecedented attack on essential care on abortion access disproportionately harms the same people who have faced systemic barriers to care – communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, undocumented immigrants, young people, those living in rural communities, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes.
What Is the ACLU Doing to Respond?
The ACLU has an office in every state. Our lawyers, lobbyists, and, organizers have been preparing for this moment. In the short-term, we will mitigate the damage and protect abortion access wherever we can, and generate an outcry in opposition to the ruling.
- In Michigan and Vermont, efforts are underway to enshrine the right to reproductive freedom in their state constitutions.
- In Kansas and Kentucky, we are fighting ballot initiatives that propose state constitutional amendments to remove abortion rights. We cannot let those measures succeed.
The ACLU’s Post-Dobbs Rapid Response includes:
- Litigation: We will file post-ruling litigation in 8–12 states in an attempt to preserve as much abortion access as possible for as long as possible.
- Education/communication: To educate the public and media about what the Supreme Court ruling actually means—both legally and in terms of human impact.
- Mobilization: We will mobilize the ACLU’s (and the ACLU affiliates’) millions of members, activists, and supporters to loudly demonstrate their opposition to the ruling—on Decision Day and beyond.
- Advising clinics: We will continue to advise clinics, abortion providers, and other organizations that provide support to people seeking abortion care in both hostile and haven states, helping them design ways to support patients seeking abortions while minimizing the legal risks to them and their patients.
- Federal administrative advocacy: We will urge the Biden administration to use its bully pulpit to react strongly against the Supreme Court ruling and to quickly prioritize the administration’s federal response to the ensuing abortion crisis.
- State legislation: We are working with our ACLU state affiliates to discuss strategies, to map out plans of action, and to provide resources (such as messaging guidance, sample legislative testimony, talking points, etc.) and will continue to do so after the ruling comes down.
Channeling people’s anger into taking action means that we will collect thousands of new activists’ contact information nationwide. We are building political power for the long-term. This is the only way to put the power back in the hands of the people.
Here are some immediate action items you can do:
- Support abortion funds and advocacy organizations. Abortion funds remove the financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. Please donate here to the National Network of Abortion Funds, which will split your contribution among more than 80 local abortion funds across the country.
- Take our pledge today and join the ACLU’s People Power network as a defender of abortion rights for ways to get involved through rallies, activist trainings, and more.
- Take your voice to the streets, and
- Send a message to politicians at the ballot box: Abortion is a right, and you can’t ignore us.
For more information, read Jessica Arons, Senior Policy Counsel, ACLU blog here. Protests and actions are taking place across the country, and you can locate events in your state here.
The majority of Americans overwhelmingly support the right to control one’s own body and future. The ACLU is in the courts, legislatures, and the streets, and we need all of you to join us.
Posted on June 29, 2022
Top 5 Phone Tips of 2022 So Far: Blocking spam calls, transferring your data and more
Are you still receiving annoying and frustrating spam and robocalls? Did you recently get a new phone and need to transfer your data and settings? Or, do you need a refresher on how to disinfect your phone?
You’re in luck! This week, we’re sharing our top 5 phone and tech tips of 2022 so far in case you missed them the first time around. Enjoy!
#1: How to protect yourself from annoying spam and robocalls calls
We hate spam and robocalls, and we know you do too — so let’s put a stop to them.
#2: New phone? Here’s how to transfer all your data from your old smartphone to your new one
Did you get a brand new phone, but you’re not sure how to transfer your data?
#3: 6 apps to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions
We’ll be honest: we didn’t keep our New Year’s resolutions. In fact, research shows that roughly 80% of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by mid-February.
But that doesn’t mean it’s too late to make new resolutions just in time for summer. Check out these 6 great apps to help you keep you on your path for the rest of the year.
#4: How to use your smartphone as a tool for good
Your smartphone is great for staying connected, playing games, and watching videos, but it can also be an important tool to help you make a positive change in your community and on our planet.
Here are some quick tips to help you get the most out of your phone to make a positive difference.
#5: How to disinfect your phone the right way and keep it germ-free
Our phones are germ magnets. In fact, our phones can carry 17,000 bacteria per square inch — 10 times more than a toilet seat!
That’s why we recommend you disinfect your phone on a regular basis to stay healthy and keep your devices clean. In this tip, we’ll show you the right way to clean your phone to keep it germ free.
Posted on June 22, 2022
How to protect yourself from annoying spam and robocalls calls
This year, Americans will receive roughly 52 billion spam and robocalls. Yes, that’s “billion” with a B.
These calls are not only annoying — they’re dangerous, too. Last year alone, scammers swindled a whopping $39.5 billion from unsuspecting Americans with increasingly sophisticated techniques.
We’re sick and tired of these aggravating calls, and we know you are too. Here are some ways you can protect yourself and reduce the number of spam calls you get.
Register your phone number with the National Do Not Call list
The Do Not Call Registry is an FTC initiative to stop unwanted telemarketing calls to landlines and mobile phones along with a mechanism to report bad actors.
While this should reduce the number of calls you might receive from legitimate marketing campaigns, it won’t stop disreputable marketers or illegal scammers from calling your number. You can also legally receive calls from pollsters, political organizations, charities and debt collectors, however we do think it’s a good first step for everyone to take.
Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry here.
Stop answering calls you don’t recognize
If the caller doesn’t appear in your contacts list when you receive a call, it’s a good idea not to answer. This includes blocked numbers and numbers that show up as “Potential Spam.” Even if the number appears local, spammers can “spoof” phone numbers to make them look like they’re originating from your area, or even your bank.
When you answer or interact with a spam call, you’re letting the scammers know your number is real.
It’s true that the caller may be legitimate — say, a doctor confirming an appointment from a number you don’t recognize — but the caller will likely leave you a voicemail or send a text message if it’s important.
Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone
You can silence all incoming calls to your phone that aren’t in your contact list and send them straight to voicemail. This won’t completely stop the calls coming in, but it will prevent your phone from ringing or vibrating from unwanted calls. Make sure important phone numbers are in your contacts before enabling this feature.
To turn on Silence Unknown Callers, go to Settings > Phone, then scroll down, tap Silence Unknown Callers, and turn on the feature. You will still see these calls in your call history and be able to access any voicemails the caller has left.
Turn caller ID & spam protection on for Android
Android includes a built-in feature that relies on Google data to help protect you from spam calls through its caller ID system (which is only available through third-party apps on iPhone, see below).
This feature is turned on by default on your Android device, so you’re likely already using it. But, if it’s not enabled, here’s how to turn the feature on or off:
- Open the Phone app
- Tap More options (the three dots) > Settings > Spam and Call Screen
- Toggle “See caller & spam ID” on or off.
- You can also turn on “Filter spam calls” to stop getting notifications for spam calls, but you will still see these calls in your call history and be able to access any voicemails the caller has left.
Block specific phone numbers
You may receive a spam call from the same phone number multiple times, so it’s probably a good idea to block that specific number. It’s a game of whack-a-mole, since scammers use nearly endless numbers, but this may help slow down some spam calls. Here’s how:
On iPhone:
- Open the Phone app
- Tap Recents > then tap the Info button next to the number you want to block.
- Scroll down, then tap Block this Caller.
On Android (this may vary by model and manufacturer):
- Open the Phone app > then tap Recents.
- Long-press on the number you want to block > then tap Block/report spam.
- Check or uncheck the box that reads Report call as spam > then tap Block.
Use a Third-Party Spam Call & Text Blocker
The above steps are essential to protect yourself from these annoying calls, but they’re not foolproof by any means. Scammers are always one step ahead of the game, so if all else fails — and it might — a third-party app to identify and block annoying robocalls, spam calls and texts is a great option.
These apps enhance the caller ID functions of your phone, employ large blacklists of spam numbers to automatically block calls and texts in real time, along with other call blocking features. Some apps are free with limited bells and whistles, while the paid apps have more robust features and customer service, which also comes with a monthly or yearly user fee.
There are dozens of spam call blocker apps, so it may take a little research to find the right one for you (browse the App Store, Google Play and your favorite search engine). Some companies that provide popular spam call and text blocking include Truecaller, Hiya Protect, Nomorobo and Robokiller.
Posted on June 15, 2022
Celebrating Juneteenth and the fight for civil rights
This weekend, we’ll be celebrating our nation’s youngest national holiday — Juneteenth — the day in 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, that enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas were finally told they were free.
Yet, more than 150 years later, Black Americans are still fighting for liberty and justice in a “land of the free and home of the brave.” Voter suppression is on the rise. Racism and discrimination persist. Economic inequality and climate change disproportionately harm Black and brown communities.
That’s why CREDO has been supporting and funding our allies in the civil rights community for over 35 years.
Thanks to our members who use our products and services every day, we’ve donated more than $15 million to civil rights organizations like Fair Fight Action, Black Voters Matter, Color of Change, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and so many others who are fighting systems of oppression, empowering communities of color, advocating for policies that promote equality and anti-racism, and educating and turning out voters.
If you’d like to learn more about how our donations program works, see all the groups we’ve funded throughout the years — totaling more than $93 million donated and counting — and how to cast your vote for this month’s grantees, just visit CREDODonations.com.
