Today, Public Knowledge and other consumer groups filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission urging it to recognize that carrier-provided text messaging is a telecommunications service that benefits from the protections of Title II of the Communications Act.
In 2007, in response to instances of text message discrimination by wireless providers, Public Knowledge and others filed a petition with the FCC asking it to take this action. In the intervening years, further instances of discrimination have highlighted the need for the FCC to protect consumers and competition in this area.
The following can be attributed to John Bergmayer, Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge:
“As a policy matter, text messaging remains an important, universally accessible means of communication, and discrimination in text messaging can affect public safety, innovation, and free speech. As a legal matter, given that voice and data are both telecommunications services, the FCC should recognize that text messaging is also telecommunications. This is why we’re asking the FCC to protect text messaging users with the tools it has under Title II of the Communications Act.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.