Data brokers fuel 25 billion political texts ahead of midterms

Political campaigns are sending an estimated 25 billion to 30 billion text messages to US consumers before the midterm elections on Tuesday, October 31. Alex Quilici, CEO of spam protection service YouMail, provided this informal approximation, noting the volume is 10 percent higher than in 2024. Call-blocking company Robokiller previously reported that 15 billion political texts were sent in 2022. A Supreme Court decision from the year prior to that count made it easier for organizations to send mass calls and texts without explicit consent.

The surge in messaging relies heavily on data brokers rather than just direct donations. Campaigns purchase information from firms that collect public voter rolls, online tracking data, and loyalty program details. This data allows groups to infer consumer behavior, though errors in processing are common. Sara Geoghegan, consumer privacy program director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, says the ecosystem is unregulated. She notes that outdated addresses and similar names frequently lead to incorrect targeting, causing people to receive messages for states they no longer inhabit.

Teresa Murray, director of the consumer watchdog PIRG, explains that political calls and texts are exempt from do-not-call list rules. She states that consumers can send a "stop" command or report numbers as spam to their service providers. While this may not yield immediate results, consistent reporting can prompt providers to label numbers as spam. Murray advises against clicking links from unknown numbers and suggests donating directly to candidate websites to avoid scams hidden among legitimate political texts.

Geoghegan argues that the burden of filtering messages falls incorrectly on individual consumers. She says it is frustrating for advocates to tell people which privacy settings to adjust while companies continue to trade in sensitive information. She warns that the surveillance apparatus pushes people away from civic engagement. Geoghegan cites a conversation with a person who said they would stop donating because they felt placed on too many lists.

Murray suggests limiting the sharing of personal phone numbers to reduce future exposure. She recommends using Voice over Internet Protocol numbers, such as Google Voice, to isolate political messages. She personally uses this method but has seen an increase in texts over the past two weeks. She attributes this to groups dialing area codes sequentially or using old lists. She encourages voters to draw a line in the sand regarding how much contact information they share.

Murray and Geoghegan identify congressional action and regulatory enforcement as the long-term solutions. Geoghegan says greater enforcement of existing laws could limit robocalls and texts. Murray urges voters to contact representatives to pressure the Federal Communications Commission. She advises consumers to use available tools but not to let the issue consume their time. She says, "Don't get just frustrated with what you can't change in four days, but you may be able to make a difference for the future."

The next major step for consumers is the election on Tuesday. After that date, the volume of political texts is expected to drop as results are determined. Murray notes that the need for campaign outreach will cease once the winners are known. For now, the flow of messages continues as groups attempt to influence voters before the polls close.