As a parent, I am outraged to learn how money I pay on my phone bill toward Internet Relay service for the deaf is being misspent.
It is incredible to me that the FCC — the agency responsible for decency in broadcasting — is paying Internet Relay providers to make obscene calls to children! Am I to understand that this has been going on for three years?
Equally incredible is the fact that the FCC has allowed a service ostensibly for the deaf to be hijacked by overseas criminals who use it to rip off U.S. businesses and individuals.
There is a simple, obvious solution to this mess: The FCC must require proof of need in order to use Internet Relay similar to what states require before issuing handicapped license plates.
Legitimate relay users would submit a letter from a licensed health care professional saying they need the service. After verification, they would then be issued a username and password to log on to the Internet Relay websites.
I urge the FCC, in the strongest possible terms, to initiate such a program immediately.