Your phone buzzes again. It’s another political text, this time marked as urgent— a fundraising appeal insisting you need to act fast. Perhaps you’ve already deleted these messages or even blocked the number. But lo and behold, come the next day, another one creeps in from a different source. It feels all too familiar, doesn’t it? Honestly, I’m fed up with it.
On The CyberGuy Report podcast, I had a chat with George Weiner, who founded PACspam.org and runs the digital agency Whole Whale. Frustrated with the barrage of political texts, he developed a free tool to help people identify the sources of these messages. In our conversation, we touched on why blocking numbers often feels futile, explored the profitable side of political fundraising, and discussed ways to push back against these relentless solicitations.
Why blocking political text messages doesn’t work
Blocking a number seems straightforward enough, right? But here’s the kicker—political campaigns aren’t always deterred. I asked George why I kept receiving texts from the same groups even after blocking them. He explained it’s a simple matter: “You block one number, and that only stops one number.”
He introduced a strategy called snowshoeing, where organizations send messages across multiple numbers. So, blocking a single sender doesn’t really get to the root of the issue; another number is likely waiting to send the next fundraising plea.
This became personal for George, who has three kids. He worries about missing important calls from their school. “That could be an emergency,” he said. Unfortunately, his phone chimes with fundraising texts instead. He tried everything—replying STOP, reporting messages, even registering for the National Do Not Call Registry. Yet the interruptions continue. “I’ve done it all, and still, these messages come through,” he said. This leads to an important question: how did they get our numbers in the first place?
How political campaigns get your phone number
You might think that campaigns require your permission to add your number to their list, but that’s not quite the case. Political outreach operates under rules that allow unsolicited texts. George explained that phone numbers can circulate through donor and voter databases. Campaigns may merge registration data with commercially available information to identify potential supporters. Moreover, they can also buy or exchange contact lists, which is a bit concerning.
Voter registration records differ by state, and phone numbers aren’t always public there. However, organizations can cross-reference voter data with other databases to build detailed profiles. Political donations can add another layer, as federal records reveal personal information under certain conditions. Once your number is in this network, tracking where it ends up becomes really challenging.
The money behind nonstop political fundraising texts
Something that really stood out in my chat with George was the sheer amount of money in the political texting world. He mentioned that around $65 million was spent on political texting services during the 2024 election cycle. He believes 2026 could even see higher spending, though the final amount isn’t yet clear.
He went on to name specific political messaging vendors and how much they’ve made—$17 million for Switchboard, $14.4 million for Mothership Strategies, and $10.6 million for Message Digital. These figures cover several election cycles, highlighting how lucrative this business is.
Why political fundraising texts keep coming
“There’s money to be made,” Weiner explained. Fundraising operations will continue to send messages as long as donations justify the expense. Even a tiny response rate can make further texts worthwhile. Many messages create a sense of urgency, claiming a looming donation deadline or suggesting a candidate is in financial distress. Others have headlines designed to elicit immediate reactions.
George also expressed concern about the percentage of donations that actually reach candidates, pointing to investigations revealing that some organizations invest more in fundraising than in supporting the candidates themselves. It’s a cross-party issue, too. The repetitive requests for money could push away the very voters they’re trying to engage.
How PACspam helps identify who’s sending political texts
To combat this, George developed PACspam.org, which aims to provide information about the organizations behind unwanted political messages. “Our phones don’t have to live like this,” Weiner noted, highlighting the need for such a tool. PACspam analyzes fundraising texts to identify the responsible committee and links. It can even document complaints and track repeat offenders using FEC data.
The platform provides a leaderboard of texting behaviors and lets users explore campaign spending on texting services. It can occasionally pinpoint the texting technology used for the message, which is important since those companies often service multiple campaigns.
Rather than just contacting the money-seeking committee, Weiner suggests reaching out to the identified texting platform. “They do respond,” he assured me, sharing his experience of getting answers from a company’s legal department about joining their do-not-contact list. This could be more effective than merely blocking one number, as it targets a provider that serves various organizations.
How to use PACspam.org
Using PACspam is quite simple. Here’s how:
- Go to PACspam.org.
- Copy the unwanted political message or upload a screenshot from your phone.
- Check the message for personal information you don’t want to share.
- Paste the message into the lookup tool or upload your screenshot.
- Click on Look up sender for analysis.
- Review any identified committees, fundraising links, or texting providers.
- Utilize the complaint information to reach out to the relevant organization.
PACspam prepares complaint information and helps document unwanted messages, but it won’t send complaints for you or guarantee your number’s removal from lists. I asked George about privacy and he confirmed they won’t collect your number—only the message itself. You don’t need an account to use PACspam, and they state that uploaded screenshots are processed and then discarded.
Are unsolicited political text messages legal?
This is where things get complicated. The FCC distinguishes political texts based on how they’re sent. Texts sent through automatic systems generally require your consent beforehand, while messages sent manually via peer-to-peer systems may bypass those rules. This explains why many can reach people who never signed up for them.
Additionally, the National Do Not Call Registry does not typically regulate political outreach. So, registering could reduce some telemarketing calls but won’t necessarily stop fundraising texts. The FCC notes that political campaigns should honor opt-out requests made via text. However, opting out from one sender won’t remove your number from all political groups.
5 ways to block political text messages and protect yourself
You might not rid yourself of every political text, but there are ways to lessen the annoyance and safeguard your data.
1. Reply STOP when you recognize the sender
If a message appears to come from a legitimate source, replying STOP can help you unsubscribe. However, be cautious—if it looks suspicious, don’t engage. Responding to those could confirm your number is live.
2. Turn on spam filtering on your phone
Your smartphone has features to help filter out unwanted texts. Here’s what to do:
- For iPhone users running iOS 27:
- Open the Messages app.
- Tap Filters.
- Select Manage Filtering.
- Enable Screen Unknown Senders.
- Make sure Filter Spam is activated.
Unknown senders can go to a separate folder, minimizing interruptions. You can choose to receive alerts for certain categories if needed.
For Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy using Google Messages:
- Open Google Messages.
- Tap your profile picture or icon.
- Go to Messages settings.
- Select Protection & safety.
- Turn on Enable spam protection, if available.
Google Messages may flag suspicious texts, moving some into the Spam & blocked folder. Just remember to occasionally check your filtered messages for any important ones.
3. Block and report repeat senders
Blocking persistent numbers can reduce unwanted texts, though others might still come through. On an iPhone, open the unwanted conversation, tap the sender’s icon, go to Info, and select Block Contact. Reporting a message as spam doesn’t block the sender; you need to do that separately.
On Google Messages, long-press the unwanted conversation and then tap Block. You can also report spam before confirming.
4. Report unwanted texts to your carrier and the FCC
You can forward unwanted political texts to 7726 (which spells SPAM). This alerts your carrier and helps with spam detection. For suspected federal rule violations, submit your complaint to the FCC Consumer Complaint Center. If a message seems like a scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov/. Remember to keep a screenshot of the text for any needed reports.
5. Donate directly and limit your personal data exposure
One of George’s key suggestions is to directly support candidates by visiting their official websites instead of using links from unsolicited texts. He cautioned that donating through unknown messages can lead to even more requests. It’s beneficial to verify who receives your donation. Yet, even donating directly might still lead to messages, so check the privacy disclosures.
Also, limit how widely your phone number is posted online. Data brokers can gather this information and possibly resell it. Cleaning up your details from various sites can minimize future risks.
Kurt’s key takeaways
What truly struck me during my talk with George was the amount of money tied to these texts that so many of us want to avoid. Despite efforts to block messages or request removals, they just keep coming. And the organizations benefiting from this system have little motivation to change their ways. I admire that George took action, creating PACspam as a way to help people understand and challenge this issue. Supporting a candidate should not mean giving marketing operations unrestricted access to our phones.
If you’re interested in a deeper dive, check out my full interview with George Weiner on The CyberGuy Report podcast. We cover the political texting industry, the companies involved, and what to do when blocking doesn’t work. If you want to cut down on unwanted messages even more, visit CyberGuyLive.com for my free Sick of Spam? class replay, complete with a spam-stopping checklist.
Are political campaigns required to seek permission for fundraising texts, and should profit-driven companies face consequences when you repeatedly ask them to stop? Share your thoughts with us at CyberGuy.com.
