AT&T to force Obama alerts for iPhones with no way to opt out

bizpacreview.com ^ | June 17, 2013 | Janeen Capizola

[T.O.K.]

Not only is Big Brother President Obama watching you, he’s going to start messaging you if you own an iPhone with AT&T service.

AT&T subscribers with an iPhone 4S or 5 using iOS 6.1 or higher are going to start getting presidential alerts on matters of “national importance” whether you want them or not.

As part of AT&T’s new Wireless Emergency Alerts, once a user updates their operating system, AMBER and Emergency alerts are automatically sent to the phone. However . . .

[kevkrom]

They happen to be the first.

Actually, I think they're one of the last. Verizon and T-Mobile already had this.

[kevkrom]

Or, more to the point, if you ever DO get a Presidential alert on your phone, you don't even need to read it to know that the SHTF.

[swamprebel]

AT&T went to the dark side of the force a long time ago.
So did google.

[MCF]

What law was passed to impose this on them?

[bolobaby]

[editor-surveyor]

You don’t understand!

AT&T chose to go to GSM phones, knowing that they would lose customers, because it facilitated government snooping. Verizon made no such choice, and has remained on CDMA.

[RIghtwardHo]

I already hated AT&T. They wanted me to hate them more? I don’t know if I can.

[duckman]

“The question is, will the outrage affect companies as big as ATT and iPhone?”

Always have to follow the money. In this case the company bottom line.

[editor-surveyor]

Wrong!

It only works on GSM, Verizon is CDMA.

[lightman]

Dear Leader will be able to deploy his flashmob force with a single keystroke.

We’re sunk.

[RikaStrom]

I’ve just decided not to upgrade my iPhone 3.

Yeah, I'm with you on that. My iPhone 3S works just fine.

[kevkrom]

Post #11 would like to disagree with you.

[Seattle Conservative]

I’ve had Verizon for several years and don’t recall receiving any alerts (Amber, from Obummer, etc.)

[Wiser now]

We have Verizon and we do not receive alerts or propaganda messages from anyone.

[rhubarbk]

Not on my Verizon iPhone unless it’s not a “visable” choice in “notifications”.

[Envisioning]

Well sh*t (((ping)))!

FUBO! Can you hear me now!

[TangoLimaSierra]

As I said on an earlier thread about this:

We get all our conservative friends, neighbors, etc to call the white hut every time a message from obammy hits our phones. After burning up their switchboard a few times maybe they’ll quit.

[kevkrom]

Presidential alerts have been defined as part of the Emergency Broadcast Service for 17 years, and not one has ever been issued.

As for amber alerts, Verizon may have disabled the feature by default (AT&T enables it by default) or you haven’t had one in your area since your phone was updated.

[Gaffer]

I haven’t either, but that don’t mean it isn’t gonna start. If one of the vendors does it, the others will eventually follow. I’m CHECKING OUT of it. NO phone.

[TheDon]

Yep. WWII vets must be wondering what they fought for.