United Press International
Basking Ridge, N.J. – Verizon Wireless, based in Basking Ridge, N.J., has reversed a decision to disallow an abortion rights group from using its network for a text message program.
A company spokesman said Thursday the earlier decision had been a mistake and the mobile network will be made available to abortion rights group Naral Pro-Choice America, The New York Times reported.
“The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect, and we have fixed the process that led to this isolated incident,” company spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said in a statement.
“It was an incorrect interpretation of a dusty internal policy,” he said. “That policy, developed before text messaging protections such as spam filters adequately protected customers from unwanted messages, was designed to ward against communications such as anonymous hate messaging and adult materials sent to children.”
Nelson said text messaging is “harnessed by organizations and individuals communicating their diverse opinions about issues and topics” and Verizon has “great respect for this free flow of ideas.”
The Naral program, which has been accepted by other wireless carriers, allows interested parties to sign up for text messages from the organization by sending a message to a five-digit number, the Times said.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
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posted September 27, 2007 at 5:09 pm
No fan of abortion, but there was no logical, legal reason for this kind of ban. Now perhaps I’ll go look into pro-life groups to see if any of them do this too.
God bless.
posted September 27, 2007 at 5:10 pm
For all the leaps that technology has made, the human factor continues to be the governor that regulates our speed. I suppose that is good news. Also knee jerk reactions are proved again to be false and misleading. Even groups as big as Verizon need to take the time necessary to be sure of what they are doing and why. At least the admit their mistake and repaired the problem.
posted September 27, 2007 at 9:05 pm
I don’t text, don’t plan to so I’m surprised they censor those things.
Obviously what they censored should not have been; do all messages that mention “abortion” get censored? Will texters need to come up with an abbreviation, say “ab”?
posted September 27, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Also, does thee censorship happen after the connection is made and thus, I presume, the charge established? If so, couldn’t a person who didn’t want the message just hang up? Or is this censorship more intentional than the explanation given suggests?
Should we be frightened at what this suggests might happen/be happening?
posted September 29, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Don’t even know how to text message. But I didn’t know that folks could monitor what folks send and receive. I’m not at all tech savy. Anyhow, here’s to freedom of speech (or texting).