Canadian Phone Company Selling Porn

westcoaster004 writes "Telus, Canada's second-largest telecommunications carrier has started selling pornography to its cellular subscribers. The service allows subscribers with mobile browsers to purchase both photographic and video adult-oriented content from Telus, at an average of CD$4 per download. Telus decided to introduce the service after noticing that there existed a certain 'segment of the population that is interested in that content' from review of the mobile Web browsing habits of their subscribers 'on an aggregate level.' They are the first telecommunications company in Canada to offer such content. A Telus spokesman said: 'We're fairly certain that if our competitors in Canada haven't launched it, they will soon. Same in the US.'"

Comments

Interesting

[JoshJ]

How big is Canada's bloc of religious wackos who think anything sexual is so horrible it needs to be banned? I'm hoping it's significantly smaller than it is in the US so that this excellent example of free speech will hold up as something for America to follow.

Re:Interesting

[king-manic]

How big is Canada's bloc of religious wackos who think anything sexual is so horrible it needs to be banned? I'm hoping it's significantly smaller than it is in the US so that this excellent example of free speech will hold up as something for America to follow.

I live in the middle of the largest bloc of "wackos", work for the company in question. The wackos are mostly harmless and get pummelled into submission by the minorities and liberal press. Our "conservative wackos" would problably pass as "democrats" in the states.

Re:Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

Defy radical Islamism by continuing to watch porn, North America. Or else the terrorists will have won.

Re:Interesting

[Dorceon]

In Canada, violence is harmful and sex not so much! It's backwards land!

Re:Interesting

[kripkenstein]

How big is Canada's bloc of religious wackos who think anything sexual is so horrible it needs to be banned?

1. Don't equate pornography with sex. It isn't the same. You can be pro-sex but not pro-pornography.

2. That said, I would say that 95% of violently anti-pornography people are, at some level, anti-sex.

Re:Interesting

[nightfire-unique]

A fear or pornography is rooted in the religious belief that on some level, sex itself is harmful and/or immoral. Consider the term: innocent. Someone who is a virgin is often described as innocent. The opposite of innocent is guilty. Guilty of what?

We are a heavily Christian-influenced society and many of our collective morals are derived from this. It's still so pervasive that we don't recognize it. But we are changing, slowly, to a more neutral "live and let live" mentality.

Blame Canada jokes

[RelliK]

in 3...2...1...

Unfortunate phrasing in TFA

[patio11]

"They can keep it in their pocket."

Re:Unfortunate phrasing in TFA

[chris_mahan]

I think it was more tongue-in-cheek.

\me ducks.

understatement

[scenestar]

Telus decided to introduce the service after noticing that there existed a certain 'segment of the population that is interested in that content'

You mean 98.7 percent of the entire adult population.

Rip-off

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

mobile browsers to purchase both photographic and video adult-oriented content from Telus, at an average of CD$4 per download.

Goddamn! $4 for images & videos... I guess Canadian Telcos are as fond of screwing their customers as the US's.

Re:Rip-off

[nmb3000]

$4 Canadian is like, what? a dime?

Ah, poor Canada. For those confused about America's northern neighbor here are some comparisons:

America: A country with four seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter.
Canada: A country with two seasons: cold and not-as-cold (but still pretty cold).

America: Has the most powerful military machine on the planet.
Canada: Has two jeeps and one helicopter, currently waiting on parts.

America: Finds it difficult to apologize, especially to China.
Canada: Apologizes as a form of introduction.

And the one that reminded me of all this:

American: Wouldn't bend over to pick up a Canadian quarter.
Canadian: Wouldn't do it either.

I kid, I kid. (source)

Such a dirty word...

[Frosty Piss]

"Pornography" is such a dirty word... Let's call it what it is, erotica.

Re:Such a dirty word...

[__aaclcg7560]

I think a lot of American politicians would have trouble spelling that word. That's why they call it smut. Only four letters and it rhymes with Smurf (i.e., the cartoon show with one girl and so many guys).

Well...

[Frosty Piss]

I guess Canadian Telcos are as fond of screwing their customers...

It is porn...

Telus

[MarkRose]

Telus is actually a fairly progressive company. They even started using VOIP for long distance back in 2002. Home Internet service is quite reliable (they don't even shape bittorrent traffic, that I'm aware of), and they're often upgrading ADSL service at no extra charge (though I splurged for a 6.0/1.0 connection at $45/mn). They also stand up for their customers, refusing to give out customer details without a subpoena, etc. The Mobility division (cell phones, etc) is also quite competitive, though they do rape you with long distance charges on cellphones, but no one has the same coverage they do. Honestly, this latest move doesn't surprise me too much (though I was surprised when it first showed up on my cell's browsing homepage).

Re:Telus

[ceoyoyo]

If only they didn't have to be frequently censured by the CRTC for abysmal customer service, commonly lie to their customers when they do have problems with their services, and have so many problems with their bureaucracy that it takes them a month to actually switch DSL service to a new account.

Re:Telus

[quantaman]

They also blocked access to one of their unions websites during a strike.

Nothing.

[Virak]

And most people bring up 'morals' because most people are idiots and are incapable of seeing the world from someone else's view, and also incapable of seeing the inherent subjectivity of morality.

Oh great

[Stephen Tennant]

As if driving and talking on the phone wasn't dangerous enough. How will I hold the steering wheel?

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[Virak]

Well, except for the fact that it demeans women (and men for that matter),

This argument has always confused me. If people are willing to be in porn, even if it 'demeans' them, then why shouldn't they be allowed to? They're adults, and they're only 'harming' themselves, if it could even be called that. It just doesn't make sense, unless you mean that it demeans *everyone*, in which case it makes even *less* sense in other ways.

cheapens and turns a God-given gift into a commodity,

If you can find significant evidence of a loving god, of the kind whose gifts would be worthy respecting, then maybe you'd have a point.

reduces human beings from being to people to be loved and honored to being objects and tools for one's one self-gratification

See above. If you mean human beings that are in porn, it's their choice, and if you mean all humans, I'd like to see you explain how that works.

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[king-manic]

Are you sure? IMHO, it's equivalent to saying that CSI / TV-Drama's replicates what happens in real life in the real world, but in a more exagerrated way.. And by exagerrated, you would know what I mean. O wait,.. this is slashdot.....

IMHO, I find these morals good in a sense that I would prefer living in area where such good morals are upheld than in one where it isn't. It brings a sense of protection for me, my family, etc

I miss the point of the first sentence. CSI is to crime investigation as Porn is to sex. Both are fake replicas that stress quick umm.. resolution over the truth behind normal situations.

IMHO, areas of strict morality only hide the vices better. Strict morality does not generally make you a better person. For each giving and self sacraficing "moral" person there is a dozen hippocritical, hateful "moral" person. Ditto for the Immoral.

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

>Porn to me, replicates what happens in real life...in the real world.

How often have you seen someone in a porn film use a condom or say "I love you"?

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[hasbeard]

Actually, I didn't say they shouldn't be allowed to. The OP asked a question, and I answered it. He asked what is wrong with pornography and I replied with the statements you have quoted about people demeaning themselves. I didn't make any statements about what people should be allowed or not allowed to do. The fact that people make a choice to participate in a given behavior doesn't lessen the harm it does to them.

Re:free speech? kiss it goodbye.

[Arivia]

I applaud you for having no idea how the Canadian telecommunications field works. From a Canadian perspective, the idea of porn is a minor issue, and the media issue is a non-issue. It's a completely different game up here, bucko.

wait, I got one

[RelliK]

Canada. The land of the beaver.

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[grimJester]

Porn to me, replicates what happens in real life..

Speak for yourself :(

In other news, automobile accidents on rise

[goombah99]

Forget the religious wackos. Now instead of one handed cell phone using drivers were going to have people diving with their knees while they use the other hand to choke their chicken.

Re:Interesting Paranoia

[exp(pi*sqrt(163))]

What prudishness exactly are you referring to?

The one that results in a nationwide furore over the accidental revelation of a nipple during a live TV performance. The one that causes a bare ass to be blurred out when shown on an innocent movie like The Full Monty. The one where you can't use a nude female body to sell a product used in the shower. I'm probably referring to the US you don't realise exists until you step outside its borders for a few minutes to contrast and compare. It's also the culture where people care more about the sexual infidelity of the president than the sacrifice of thousands of lives for a war started under false pretenses.