Reversing course, Verizon Wireless announced today that it would allow an abortion rights group to send text messages to its supporters on Verizon’s mobile network.
“The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect,” Jeffrey Nelson, a spokesman for Verizon, said in a statement, adding that the earlier decision was an “isolated incident.”Last week, Verizon rejected a request from the abortion rights group Naral Pro-Choice America for a five-digit “short code.” Such codes allow people interested in hearing from businesses, politicians and advocacy groups to sign up to receive text messages.
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Nancy Keenan, Naral’s president, expressed satisfaction today. “The fight to defeat corporate censorship was won,” she said. But Ms. Keenan added that her group “would like to see Verizon make its new policy public.”
Verizon did not respond to repeated requests for copies of the policy or an explanation for why it is withholding it.
Text messaging is an increasingly popular tool in American politics and an established one abroad. In his statement, Mr. Nelson acknowledged that the technology is “being harnessed by organizations and individuals communicating their diverse opinions about issues and topics.” He said Verizon has “great respect for this free flow of ideas.”
But the company did not retreat from its position that it is entitled to decide what messages to transmit.
Legal experts said Verizon’s position is probably correct under current law, although some called for regulations that would require wireless carriers of text messages to act like common carriers, making their services available to all speakers on all topics.
“This incident, more than ever, shows the need for an open, nondiscriminatory, neutral Internet and telecommunications system that Americans once enjoyed and took for granted,” said Gigi B. Sohn, the president of Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group.
Well, the way people tell the corporation of their displeasure is to drop their service, not buy their products, not support their business. At least that part of our freedoms hasn't been negated.... yet.
Update: Sprint Nextel also has a problem listening to their customers... all 30,000 complaints.
And do cell phones have a trigger to fail if any moisture at all gets near the battery?
2 comments:
Of course, if one has a long-term contract, exercising that power to choose could be a real challenge.
I was lucky, sort of: I have Cingular, um, I mean, AT&T, unless they too have been bought out this week. But I don't have any "free" text messages under my low-end plan. <tinfoil_hat> And besides, I'm not sure I would use my cell phone daily for explicitly political purposes. What other device not only lets them collect info on your politicking, but also tells them where you are at any given moment? </tinfoil_hat>
I, too, have CinguAT and ar...T thing. They changed the rates and the quality of service last corporation change to force people to break their contracts. I wonder if they will keep on flipping back and forth, leaving the customer constantly scrambling.
There are those who use texting over regular calls. I am not that multi-digital....
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