BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Irritated by unwanted text advertisements from your telco?
A proposed law is seeking to ban mobile network carriers from sending promotional messages to their subscribers.
“While some of the messages sent to subscribers are free, they remain unsolicited and intrude into the privacy of the consumers,” said Ang Mata’y Alagaan party-list’s Rep. Lorna Velasco.
Velasco, who authored House Bill (HB) 4510, claimed that these “unsolicited materials” either eat up prepaid credits or result in higher postpaid bills.
HB 4510 penalizes cellphone network companies violating the measure with a fine (from P20,000 to P100,000) per violation.
“The regulation of the use of cellphones and the network’s service providers becomes necessary to ensure public convenience, security and safety of its users,” Velasco said.
In the Senate, now detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada filed a similar legislation through his staff.
“There is a need to regulate indiscriminate offerings by prohibiting any matter sent by network companies via text or short messages which are not solicited by the subscriber,” said Estrada in filing Senate Bill 1583./PN
