How much is too much? When the number of unsolicited short message service (SMS) texts sent by different cell phone companies to their subscribers is a staggering 1.52 billion on an average each day, one can't help wondering about the utility of the messages. Literally these cell companies bombard their customers with texts the latter in most cases dislike to receive.
In a country of 160 million people, how many short messages a person then receives on a daily basis? Mind it, not every individual of the total population possesses a cell phone. If everyone had a cellular set, a person would have received about 10 messages each day. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic (BBS), 87 per cent households, not people, have cell phones of which 40 per cent are smartphones. Suppose a family of four in low-income segments of society has one cell phone, this will leave no fewer than 15-20 per cent people without a set. This means one receives about 20 such messages every day.
What is irritating and offensive is the repetition of a particular type of silly SMS messages several times a day. These are moreover repeated every day and additionally the smartphones wake up from sleeping mode to stay lit up until one touches the 'cancel' on the screen. If a subscriber never in his/her life uses such an offer, undaunted the message continues to knock on a daily basis and that too several times. Isn't this an infringement on privacy?
What is unacceptable is the text that is occasionally sent, concerns subscribers' duty to do 'this' and 'that' if 'you do not wish to receive' such texts. Pray, why should a customer will be forced to take the trouble to go through such a process? If a phone company really means business, make it easy. Just send one short message allowing a person the option for 'yes' and 'no'. One will love to make one's choice explicit by just clicking either of the two once and for all. Or, there can be an option for 'unsubscribe,' that should make things straight for both.
When the service providers subject their customers to unnecessary harassment without remedy, they should know the latter do not enjoy this. Not everyone even has time to delete the messages which continue to pour in and accumulate. Understandably, the government, utility services and other agency send some important messages. But then there are not only messages but calls from unknown numbers. The messages on 'love tips' 'lifelong companion' and similar other subjects are an affront to modesty and therefore awfully annoying. In this case, the calls from unknown numbers begin with the request, "Please, don't terminate the call, it may prove life-changing for you". If a recipient still has the tenacity to listen, s/he may or may not see what bait is there for him or her to swallow or not. The aged and experienced are likely to end the call before even hearing the rest of the call, but what about unsuspecting young people?
Now the question is, how can these elements use the telephone companies' channels because the initial part of the call is machine-generated? If banks and other institutes take such options in order to provide service at the request of customers, that is one thing but when ubiquitous and questionable agencies or groups take advantage of such facilities, it is unacceptable.
True, not all unsolicited messages are useless. But when more than 90 per cent texts have no utility value to a customer, there is a fear that one may miss the one highly important. This is for two reasons: One is obviously the crowding of messages and the other is the impatience and anger that make one averse to browsing such messages. The frequency of texts should be controlled. There is no excuse for repeating the same message several times a day. If one is so sent, the sender ---be it a telephone company or any agency ---should be brought under legal provisions for punishment for the offence. Yes, it should be treated as an offence. Then of course, such messages and calls should be categorised within a framework under laws so that subscribers can take legal measures against the offenders in case the generators of unsolicited texts cross the given limit.
- Saturday, 20 April 2024 |
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