TSTT pulls plug on phone sex
"PHONE sex services are illegal and Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) does not issue licences for such operations, TSTT officials stated yesterday.
"Our policy states when you get a 900 number that (phone sex) is illegal. We will disconnect the line if we find that service," TSTT Corporate Communications Manager RaeAnn Harper-Walters insisted.
She was responding to allegations by businessman Emile Elias that the company was officially endorsing phone sex. Elias recently requested TSTT to block 900 access from his business lines.
A night watchman employed with the Elias Group was blamed for making $16,359.77 in phone sex calls and was reportedly fired.
Harper-Walters said Elias' anger was mainly directed at TSTT's late response in blocking the lines. However, Elias also wrote: "In my view, you are facilitating the dissemination of obscene material and are charging twice the price of an overseas call for doing so."
TSTT's General Manager, Corporate Customer Services, Bernard Mitchell, said blocking individual numbers is "difficult" for domestic phones, but the process is easier with business clients since most of their PBX systems have blocking devices, as was the case with Elias'.
Under the Telephone Act, Mitchell explained, phone sex is illegal as it is deemed "indecent, obscene and profane," but TSTT does not pursue legal action when it is discovered.
Of the 80 900 number licences granted by TSTT, Mitchell disclosed, five were disconnected for conducting phone sex services. He said obtaining a 900 number "is very straightforward" and TSTT depends on the honesty of the applicants."
A. H. Hotep
editor@trinicenter.com
July 7, 2000
This is another law that should be repealed in an effort to decriminalize an action that can be addressed through the use of existing technologies.
If, as Mr. Elias claims, TSTT is facilitating the dissemination of obscene materials because some people use their 900 numbers for phone sex, then that same argument can be used to limit people's access to the Internet. All Internet users in Trinidad and Tobago have to use the telephone lines supplied by TSTT, and they have access to Sex Sites. The same can be said for people who make and sell Televisions, Cameras, Video recorders, Pens and Books. Even this Rich Contractor Elias himself can be accused of facilitating the dissemination of obscene materials or contributing to the spread of obscene behaviors, when people use the buildings he construct for sexual activities.
I use these points to show how obscene his allegations were. I could understand the concerns some people might have about their children having easy access to phone sex, but concerned persons can have these lines blocked from their phones. This law was conceived when the technology was not available to restrict minors from these services, but today these archaic laws have outlived what ever usefulness some people thought they had.
Then there is the other issue of TSTT rushing to act to appease this RICH WHITE businessman. What about the people who complain daily about the poor service, over billing, and the length of time it takes them to have the poor service restored. I guess these are ordinary people. I have a friend whose line has been out of service for about a month and she calls them daily about the problem.
I know that most people would be contented to let TSTT have their way with the phone sex operators, even I myself find their occupation despicable, but someone have to stand up for principle and not have these bigots get away with poor reasoning to have their way. Especially Mr. Elias who can single-handedly eliminate poverty in this country with his billion-dollar account. He is the head of the family planning organization and has always advocated that poor people use birth control measures to eradicate poverty while he maintains his greedy lifestyle.
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