The Daily Background

Good news! No sooner did the NYT report on it, Verizon has reversed their earlier decision to bar NARAL Pro-Choice America from using their network for text messaging:

“The decision to not allow text messaging on an important, though sensitive, public policy issue was incorrect, and we have fixed the process that led to this isolated incident,” Jeffrey Nelson, a company spokesman, said in a statement.

“It was an incorrect interpretation of a dusty internal policy,” Mr. Nelson said. “That policy, developed before text messaging protections such as spam filters adequately protected customers from unwanted messages, was designed to ward against communications such as anonymous hate messaging and adult materials sent to children.”

Mr. Nelson noted that text messaging is “harnessed by organizations and individuals communicating their diverse opinions about issues and topics” and said Verizon has “great respect for this free flow of ideas.”

The other leading wireless carriers had accepted the Naral program, which allows people to sign up for text messages from Naral by sending a message to a five-digit number known as a short code.

Color me unconvinced- their explanation sounds pretty bogus. They made a mistake in interpreting their internal rules? Yeah right. Have they ever made the same mistake when the RNC uses their service to send text messages promoting political platform which supports taking away reproductive rights from women? Somehow I doubt it. It sounds to me more like they got a bunch of calls after the NYT article was published yesterday and they realized that was probably only the beginning of the pressure they were going to get so they capitulated.

Oh, and by the way, via Shakes, here’s the actual message Verizon wanted to “protect” their customers who opted in to received it from:

Naral provided an example of a recent text message that it has sent to supporters: “End Bush’s global gag rule against birth control for world’s poorest women! Call Congress. (202) 224-3121. Thnx! Naral Text4Choice.”

Filed under: Z-TDB Blog