Verizon Rejects Pro-Choice Text Message

by: Shakespeares Sister

Because messages about abortion are "controversial or unsavory."

Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.

…In turning down the program, Verizon, one of the nation’s two largest wireless carriers, told Naral that it does not accept programs from any group "that seeks to promote an agenda or distribute content that, in its discretion, may be seen as controversial or unsavory to any of our users."

Given that people are required to sign up for the messages from Naral, that explanation seems a little weak. And it gets even weaker when the example of the message provided (which, by the way, is right in line with tone and content of emailed dispatched from Naral) is: "End Bush's global gag rule against birth control for world's poorest women! Call Congress. (202) 224-3121. Thnx! Naral Text4Choice." To the fainting couch!

Verizon is within its rights (if not its own best economic interest) to reject Naral's business. Of course, now Verizon is "rethinking its position" and reviewing their "content standards." Now that people actually know about their policy, in other words; now that they might lose some business over it.

I'd love to be able to take my business elsewhere, but I already did. Verizon has a monopoly on local phone service where we live, so we don't have a landline (which also precludes our having TiVo and includes our paying more for cable internet through another carrier). Kind of a pain, and the carriers we've got aren't loads better, but I'll be damned if I give stinking Verizon one red bloody cent.

UPDATE: That was fast.