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IP: Wireless spam
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 16:41:36 -0500
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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- IP: Wireless spam David Farber (Mar 27)