AT&T Wireless Barrages Users with ‘Idol’ Ad
It looks like AT&T Wireless is in hot water for texting a large percentage of its customers, urging them to watch the season premiere of "American Idol," which debuted Tuesday night.
According to a New York Times report, the wireless carrier sent text messages to a significant percentage of its subscriber base over the past week -- and customer response has been mostly negative. AT&T Wireless is a sponsor of "Idol," and its subscribers can use their phones to vote via text message for their favorite show contestant.
AT&T is defending the text barrage, claiming the messages weren’t spam because they were free, and because customers could opt-out of future ads, the Times reports. The ads were sent to frequent texters and to customers who had voted for "Idol" talent in the past, AT&T says.
