Verizon Wireless is adding 3 cents to every mobile terminated message processed on its network as of November the 1st. This move by Verizon Wireless could set a new major precedent in the text messaging service.
Mobile terminated messages include interactive voice notifications; SMS search responses, and text alerts. This new 3 cents fee is in addition to the current mobile terminated fees and applies to both standard and premium rate programs.
This new charge is sure to outrage mobile players who use mobile terminated messages to deliver real-time news, sports updates, text-search results, horoscopes and other information. Countless companies may be affected by the new charge, Google Inc, 4INFO, ChaCha, CNN, ESPN, Cellfire, to name only a few.
Source – rcrwireless
It seems to me that Verizon is admitting to violating its users privacy by reading their text messages. What business is it of Verizon who sends its users text messages and what those messages say? If I’m working on a car or property deal and my Realtor or car salesman calls me about it, does Verizon have a right to listen to the conversation and charge the sales staff or company for calling me? It’s the same thing with a text message. If I opt in for political ads or news alerts or updates on products I am interested in, what gives Verizon the right to listen in on my text messages to determine who is contacting me and whether or not that contact included advertising?
this is too harsh for content providers to handle. i wonder how many companies they will put out of business just to make a buck off text messages… people like the services that companies like ChaCha and Cellfire provide, hopefully they find a way to stay in business