Govt extends ban on bulk SMS, MMS

Sep 25, 2010 - Age Correspondent |

New Delhi

A cautious government on Friday extended the ban on bulk SMS and MMS till September 30 to prevent any misuse of this technology to spread rumours or hateful messages in wake of Ayodhya case to be taken by courts next week.

The telecom department had on Wednesday banned bulk SMS and MMS service for the 72 hours in the entire country in order prevent spread of rumours by miscreants in wake of Ayodhya verdict which was then expected on Friday. However, Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the verdict till at least September 28. In the changed circumstance, the government decided to extend the ban on bulk messages. The government is cautious to prevent any misuse of the bulk-SMS service by the miscreants to fuel communal violence on Ayodhya issue, which had polarised the nation in the early 1990s and sparked widespread riots.
The decision to extend the ban on bulk messages was taken on the advice of the home ministry.
This decision will have no impact on the individual SMS’s sent by the mobile subscribers to each other.
This is for the first time that the bulk messages have been stopped in the entire country. In Jammu and Kashmir, the whole SMS service is under suspension since June as it was misused by separatists.

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