House panel OKs ban on spam text messages
Web Producer: Mekita Rivas
PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona House committee has passed a bill that would ban unsolicited spam-like text messages that seek to get a person to buy goods or services.
The bill sponsored by Republican Rep. David Stevens of Sierra Vista is aimed at companies that inundate multiple phone numbers with texts. Many of those are for adult services and Stevens himself says he recently got an unsolicited text along those lines.
He describes the ban as a form of the 'do not call' list for regular phones. A violation would be a misdemeanor.
A lobbyist for cellphone carrier T-Mobile testified Thursday against the bill, saying it doesn't contain an exemption for companies who can show someone signed up for texts. He also says a federal ban comes into play later this year.
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