I (work/worked) as a relay operator and know first-hand what a serious problem Relay abuse is. I am outraged by how the Internet Relay service for the deaf is being misused.
It is incredible to me that the FCC has stood by for three years and allowed this valuable service to be hijacked by overseas criminals who use it to rip off U.S. businesses and individuals. Equally incredible is the fact that the FCC — the agency responsible for decency in broadcasting — is paying Internet Relay providers to make obscene calls to children.
I can tell you that relay operators faced with such calls experience great distress. Yet there is no need for any of this.
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.