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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