Verizon Rejects Text Messages From an Abortion Rights Group
By ADAM LIPTAK
New York Times
Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.
The other leading wireless carriers have accepted the program, which allows people to sign up for text messages from Naral by sending a message to a five-digit number known as a short code.
Text messaging is a growing political tool in the United States and a dominant one abroad, and such sign-up programs are used by many political candidates and advocacy groups to send updates to supporters.
But legal experts said private companies like Verizon probably have the legal right to decide which messages to carry. The laws that forbid common carriers from interfering with voice transmissions on ordinary phone lines do not apply to text messages.
The dispute over the Naral messages is a skirmish in the larger battle over the question of “net neutrality” — whether carriers or Internet service providers should have a voice in the content they provide to customers.
“This is right at the heart of the problem,” said Susan Crawford, a visiting professor at the University of Michigan law school, referring to the treatment of text messages. “The fact that wireless companies can choose to discriminate is very troubling.”
(Continued here.)
New York Times
Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.
The other leading wireless carriers have accepted the program, which allows people to sign up for text messages from Naral by sending a message to a five-digit number known as a short code.
Text messaging is a growing political tool in the United States and a dominant one abroad, and such sign-up programs are used by many political candidates and advocacy groups to send updates to supporters.
But legal experts said private companies like Verizon probably have the legal right to decide which messages to carry. The laws that forbid common carriers from interfering with voice transmissions on ordinary phone lines do not apply to text messages.
The dispute over the Naral messages is a skirmish in the larger battle over the question of “net neutrality” — whether carriers or Internet service providers should have a voice in the content they provide to customers.
“This is right at the heart of the problem,” said Susan Crawford, a visiting professor at the University of Michigan law school, referring to the treatment of text messages. “The fact that wireless companies can choose to discriminate is very troubling.”
(Continued here.)
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2 Comments:
This is outrageous.
Verizon was a financial backer of Tom Delay and his legal defense fund. (They announced that they were not going to give any further monies, but I don’t know if they requested Delay make any refunds.)
Verizon has also been a big contributor to both political parties but since 1996 roughly 60% went to Republicans.
To me this is an invasion of my privacy. If I want to pay for a LEGAL service to keep me informed, Verizon, nor any other corporation, should not deny me that ability.
Obviously, someone wanted to know who the company was and what their messages entailed to determine that it would not offer the service. This is discrimination.
And, it’s poor business. My guess is that Verizon will be changing this policy.
UPDATE : NARAL Battle won, yet the Net Neutrality War is still undetermined.
“The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect,” said Jeffrey Nelson, a spokesman for Verizon.
Mr. Nelson called that “an incorrect interpretation of a dusty internal policy” that “was designed to ward against communications such as anonymous hate messaging and adult materials sent to children.”
Although Verizon may have Dropped this policy the regarding NARAL, it is still a concern when a company decides what customers it will offer (and how much it will charge varying customers). When Gil Gutknecht lead the House in passing HR 5252 last session, Verizon immediately announced a change in policy to charge user fees (fortunately it died in the Senate).
The Net Neutrality issue is a big issue … especially if you are someone like me who resides in a “dead zone” which limits my service choices.
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