FTC Challenges Innovators to Do Battle with Robocallers
Agency Offers $50,000 for Best Technical Solution as Part of Ongoing Fight Against Illegal Calls
The Federal Trade Commission is challenging the public to create an innovative solution that will block illegal commercial robocalls on landlines and mobile phones. As part of its ongoing campaign against these illegal, prerecorded telemarketing calls, the agency is launching the FTC Robocall Challenge, and offering a $50,000 cash prize for the best technical solution.
This is the agency’s first government contest hosted on Challenge.gov, an online challenge platform administered by the U.S. General Services Administration, in partnership with ChallengePost. Challenge.gov empowers the U.S. government and the public to bring the best ideas and top talent to bear on our nation’s most pressing issues.
======
For more information, look here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/10/robocalls3.shtm
Digitopoly 
This seems to be analogous to the problem “how do we stop bots from filling out web forms”. The solution so far has been to use CAPTCHAs, which presumably would also work in the telephone system. I guess, however, that having to enter some kind of CAPTCHA code before the phone system will connect your call might be even less popular than enduring the occasional robocall.
Perhaps someone will come up with a smart solution to the robocall problem that can also be used in place of online CAPTCHAs. That would, for sure, make the Web a better place.