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California Bans Mobile Phone Spam

Posted by michael on from the you-don't-have-mail dept.

Argyle writes "News.com is reporting that California has banned the spamming of pagers and mobile phones with unwanted text messages."

7 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Not just text messages... by therealmoose · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The article also says that he signed bills to fight junk fax and expidiate do not call lists. Sounds like a great step forward for privacy and anti-stupidity laws!

    1. Re:Not just text messages... by srw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I wonder how it deals with cross-border spam. That still seems to me to be the biggest problem to deal with.

  2. Known Hosts by messiertom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why not make messages only be accepted from known "hosts" (phone numbers)? Rather like /etc/hosts.allow, but for mobile phones.

    Does such a system exist?

  3. State-law system. by Fantanicity · · Score: 4, Interesting


    So what does this ban?

    Californians in California spamming other Californians in California?
    Californians in California spamming other Californians anywhere?
    Californians in California spamming anyone in California?
    Californians in California spamming anyone anywhere?
    Californians anywhere spamming other Californians in California?
    Californians anywhere spamming anyone in California?
    Anyone in California spamming Californians in California?
    Anyone anywhere spamming Californians in California?
    Anyone in California spamming anyone in California?
    Anyone in California spamming anyone anywhere?

    And several other permutations?

    1. Re:State-law system. by *xpenguin* · · Score: 5, Funny

      And several other permutations?

      No, I think you got every single one.

  4. Note to self... by extagboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Stop planned cell phone spamming campaign and instead walk up to people with bullhorn explaining how they can win free stuff and save thousands on their mortgage.

  5. Re:California Laws by fmaxwell · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here is another example of well-meaning, yet relatively irrelevant laws being passed.

    I disagree. This is a valuable, pro-active attempt to keep Californians from being forced to pay for spam sent to their cell phones and pagers.

    Remember that, unlike the Internet, there are long-distance charges to call cell phones from out of area. Since spammers are bottom feeders that look for ways to pay nothing for their advertising, the vast majority of the spam would come from in-state. Thus, there would be no question of jurisdiction, extradition, etc. in most cases.