Regulation of spam messages sought

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker wants to give the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) the power to impose fines or revoke the franchises of telecommunications firms and service providers that fail to stop the flurry of spam messages in cell phones and other gadgets.

In seeking additional regulatory powers for the NTC, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said spam messages constitute undue intrusion into the private space of mobile phone subscribers.

“Since these spam messages – whether they come from known or unknown sources – should be regulated precisely because the  subscribers did not ask for them, then the National Telecommunications Commission should exercise its disciplinary as well as regulatory powers over the telecommunication companies that ‘father’ these rather not-too-desirable and, in fact, unwelcome developments,” he said.

“The vicious and unregulated bombardment of these texts or messages gets in the way of the free, open, clean and supposedly unobtrusive personal and private use of legitimate mobile phone subscribers of their units in ways that please, satisfy, and supply their needs and the costs they paid for in their chosen post-paid or pre-paid plans.” 

Castelo said spam messages sent to telecommunications gadgets stand in the way of the freedom of communication when, without mutual consent or at least the consent of the receiver, any mobile phone owner or subscriber receives any text or message from known or unknown source, unless with due permission or upon demand of the receiver from the sender of such spam.

The NTC’s regulatory powers must be broadened to effectively ban these unwanted and unsolicited messages, he added.