September 1, 2005
Asia tries to put SMS genie back in its bottle
For Asian governments, text-messaging is no longer a matter of twiddling their thumbs, according to Reuters.
"Asia is cracking down on a technology that has become a powerful social tool, used to organise mass protests, sow wild rumours, perpetrate crime and, it is feared, trigger bombs.
From Southeast Asia, where authorities say they are motivated by security and public-nuisance concerns, to Greater China, where scams and spam seem to be the major worry, text-messaging by anonymous mobile-phone users has caused a huge, ringing headache.
In the developing countries of Asia, most mobile-phone users are faceless because they use pre-paid phone cards, which can be bought for a few dollars without giving a name and address.
But anxious governments are changing all that, by requiring registration of pre-paid users.
Text-messaging in Asia has become a rumour mill to be reckoned with, able to turn a shred of misinformation into a national talking point worthy of a government denial.
One Reuters reporter got a call from a "kidnapper" demanding ransom for her husband -- who was sitting right next to her.
It is also deemed a security risk".
Left: Chinese residents look at posters promoting mobile phones at a market in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, in this March 14, 2005 file photo. REUTERS/China Newsphoto
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