The FCC today took an important vote regarding text messaging.
The FCC voted to classify text messaging as "information services" rather than "telecommunications services" in a move that the agency claims will help wireless carriers to "continue taking action to protect American consumers from unwanted text messages." Chairman Pai and Commissioners O'Rielly and Carr approved of the action while Commissioner Rosenworcel dissented.
"The FCC shouldn’t make it easier for spammers and scammers to bombard consumers with unwanted texts. And we shouldn’t allow unwanted messages to plague wireless messaging services in the same way that unwanted robocalls flood voice services," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. "But that’s precisely what would happen if we were to classify text messaging services as telecommunications services and subject them to common-carrier regulation under Title II, as mass-texting companies and others have asked us to do."
Some are concerned that the move could result in wireless carriers blocking text messages that they don't like but aren't spam. "Today the @FCC makes the same mess for text messages it did for #NetNeutrality last year," Commissioner Rosenworcel said on Twitter. "That means your carrier now has the legal right to block your text messages and censor the very content of your messages themselves. I dissent."
Today the @FCC makes the same mess for text messages it did for #NetNeutrality last year.
That means your carrier now has the legal right to block your text messages and censor the very content of your messages themselves.
I dissent.
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) December 12, 2018
The FCC also adopted new rules to create a reassigned phone numbers database with the goal of reducing unwanted phone calls for consumers. The info in the database will be provided by phone companies, and callers using the database will be able to find out if the phone number of the person they want to contact has been reassigned.