Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

T-Mobile Facing Lawsuit Over Text Message Censorship

Posted by Soulskill on from the stirring-the-pot dept.

Tootech writes with this quote from Wired: "A mobile-marketing company claimed Friday it would go out of business unless a federal judge orders T-Mobile to stop blocking its text-messaging service, the first case testing whether wireless providers can block text messages they don't like. EZ Texting claims T-Mobile blocked the company from sending text messages for all of its clients after learning that legalmarijuanadispensary.com, an EZ Texting client, was using its service to send texts about legal medical marijuana dispensaries in California. 'T-Mobile subjectively did not approve of one of the thousands of lawful businesses and non-profits served by EZ Texting,' according to New York federal lawsuit."

4 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. Block All Marketing Texts by cob666 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm all for shutting down marketing firms that depend solely on text messages. In the US, we pay for each text message that we receive (or it counts towards a monthly allotment). Imagine if your ISP allowed only 100 emails per month, unsolicited email would not be tolerated.

    --
    Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law - Aleister Crowley
  2. Why would they do this? by metrix007 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Surely this action would remove their common carrier status? Now that they have demonstrated they have the capability to censor content, they can assume responsibility for other content that they allow through?

    Also, for those saying it is not censorship because it is not the government....no. Just no.

    --
    If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
  3. Opt-in? Hahahaha! by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Insightful
    They all claim to be opt-in.

    Try to get removed, and they don't.

    Then, since you contacted them to get off their spam list, they now have a "previous relationship" with you.

    Now if they had to pay every recipient - even a penny - spam would almost disappear. So don't tax email or spam - just make it a micro-transaction from one party to the other, and allow for me to white-list people who can send me stuff for free, and blacklist others who will have to pay a buck.

  4. Re:Don't Trust EZ Texting by JDS13 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    In that case, T-Mobile should have notified EZ Texting that the shutdown was because of complaints about unsolicited texts, which are a violation of their terms of service and of Federal law. I'm sure there have been complaints about EZ Texting - I'm a T-Mobile customer and have called them to complain about unsolicited texts. I've also filed 1088's with the FCC.

    Blocking a spammer wouldn't create this lawsuit or publicity.