IP: Wireless spam

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: "Alan A. Reiter" <reiter () wirelessinternet com>
> To: <farber () cis upenn edu>
>
>
> Hi Dave,
>
> CNET's news.com (http://www.news.com) today reports there's a class action
> suit against AT&T Wireless because of wireless spam in Phoenix.
>
> "WASHINGTON--At first, Rodney Joffe figured that the message he had just
> received on his AT&T Wireless phone was meant for somebody else. The text
> message pitched a Phoenix, Ariz., mortgage company, but looked like it
> appeared in Joffe's message basket by accident. When Joffe, a Phoenix
> resident, called the number in the message, the person on the other end said
> there must have been a mistake. But then colleagues of Joffe's who also used
> AT&T Wireless phones reported receiving the same message. Joffe later was
> hit with another message from the same company. Annoyed, he realized that
> the unwanted messages were costing him money--as AT&T charges customers for
> every text message, or SMS (short message service), they receive. Now Joffe
> is taking action. He's working the phones to round up other spam victims in
> Phoenix and is talking to lawyers about a class-action suit...."
>
> Also, the article discusses bills in Congress to ban unsolicited messages.
>
> "On Wednesday, the House Commerce Committee will vote on an antispam bill
> authored by Reps. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., and Gene Green, D-Tex. That bill
> easily passed the Telecommunications Subcommittee on March 21.  A second
> bill to block wireless spam, introduced by Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., in
> January, is also moving through the halls of Congress. Until now, it had
> received little attention...."
>
>
> By-the-way, I have a suggestion for the next "hot potato" for wireless:
> "wireless vice" -- gambling, pornography and even location-based escort
> services.  I did a panel about wireless adult entertainment at the CTIA
> conference last week, and there have been several articles about the issue.
> A weekly Scandinavian news magazine is preparing an article about wireless
> pornography.
>
>
>
> Alan
>
>
> --------------------------------------
> Alan Reiter, president
> Wireless Internet & Mobile Computing
> reiter () wirelessinternet com
> http://www.wirelessinternet.com
> Phone: 301-951-0385



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