14 DAY TRIAL // It would appear that someone from an advertising agency sent the wrong spam message to the wrong people. On Thursday, two US senators have decided to neutralize spam messages, describing them as a “nuisance to millions.” The bill will be entitled the m-SPAM Act of 2009, and is meant to drastically reduce the number of unsolicited advertisements and messages people get on their mobile devices.
Republican Olympia Snowe, from Maine, and Florida Democrat Bill Nelson have joined forces for passing the new piece of legislation, which will tighten previous regulations on the way publicity companies are allowed to conduct their businesses. People who have been registered on the Do-Not-Call list in the US will also be spared having to read numerous text messages daily. They have already indicated that they do not want to be bothered with unsolicited phone calls, and the new bill would extend to text messages on their mobile devices.
“Mobile spam invades both a consumer's cell phone and monthly bill. There is also increasing concern that mobile spam will become more than just an annoyance, [on account of the] viruses and malicious spyware. This significant and looming threat must be addressed in order to protect consumers and vital wireless services,” Snowe explained the new law in a press release. “Spam e-mail is bad enough. Now, we are seeing a proliferation of unwanted text messages – and consumers are getting stuck paying,” Nelson added.
In 2007, more than 1.1 million spam text messages were sent to US wireless mobile devices. Thus, the number of texts increased by some 38 percent, as opposed to 2006. This is nothing but bad news for some wireless network subscribers who are under some plans charged every time they send or receive a message. And with costs reaching as high as 20 cents per received message, the situation results in a sum that doesn't grow in trees, so to speak.