I receive approximately two unsolicited text messages per week on my mobile phone. I have not asked for such messages to be sent to me and I do not wish to receive them. They are sent by unscrupulous companies who are clearly spamming mobile phone customers indiscriminately. Such marketing practices are undemocratic. They invade the phone subscriber's right to privacy. 

I have registered not to receive junk mail and be exempt from telemarketing by landline. I now also wish to register for protection against marketing via text messaging to my mobile phone (number, see below).

The most recent message I received was at 11:27:55 on 24/8/2002 from 0906 1743253 (T&C at www.t-c.biz) who clearly expect me to waste £1.50 a minute to receive a "prize". Do I really have to receive such junk? Not only does it clutter up my in-box: the "message received" signal also makes me stop whatever I am doing in order to check if an important message has arrived from a member of my family, or from a friend or colleague. I do not give my mobile phone number to everybody. How come they are allowed to have it? It makes no sense and it is not right.

Please protect us from these mavericks, preferably by making their text-message marketing illegal. If not, please let us at least have the right to bar their calls and messages to our private numbers.

Dr Philip Tagg 
Institute of Popular Music
University of Liverpool L69 7ZT
www.tagg.org
Tel: +44 (0)151 7943066

Mobile: 07748 961680