Public Knowledge, Other Consumer Groups Urge FCC to Protect Text Messaging Users

Public Knowledge, Common Cause and Free Press filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission urging it to recognize that carrier-provided text messaging is a telecommunications service that benefits from the protections of Title II of the Communications Act.

John Bergmayer, Senior Staff Attorney at Public Knowledge, said, “As a policy matter, text messaging remains an important, universally accessible means of communication, and discrimination in text messaging can affect public safety, innovation, and free speech. As a legal matter, given that voice and data are both telecommunications services, the FCC should recognize that text messaging is also telecommunications. This is why we’re asking the FCC to protect text messaging users with the tools it has under Title II of the Communications Act.”