Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Verizon and NARAL

I was absolutely infuriated last week when Verizon announced that they would not carry text messages that their users opted to receive from NARAL Pro-Choice America. To tell you the truth, I didn't even realize a cellular provider could do that! Apparently, in the small print of your carrier's terms and conditions, it states that they don't have to carry information that they find to be objectionable. Ultimately, Verizon backed down from this assertion in this case, and agreed to carry NARAL's opt-in messaging. But regardless your stance on the issue of choice, it should be clear to everyone that net neutrality is a very real issue, and one that can directly impact your life. Carriers provide the backbone on which digital communication is delivered; that they may be able to deny service based on the content of the message is very scary.

1 comment:

lynne lac said...

That /is/ scary in principle, in practice. What about the freedom concept is so hard to get.

Though I suppose that could be though of as freedom in its own way, too. The carrier chooses. And at least there's more than one.

Still, scary. Thanks for that fun fact.