Writing On The Wahl #021 — Do we need government intervention?

Dear Flow Saint Lucia, while I have no problem with the marketing of your products, this goes too far!

Your message intrudes on my awareness buy giving me no choice but to see it and forces me to engage with it to access “MY” phone. This class of messages should be reserved for the Government of Saint Lucia to issue emergency messages to the nation in times of crisis.

This particular message is incredibly upsetting because, in essence, it’s the promotion of gambling. They are enticing individuals to buy their products by teasing them with the chance to WIN!

Are things that desperate at Flow?
I’m asking for Q.

It has become a concerning trend for telecommunications companies to use gambling as a marketing strategy. Inundating our devices with offers to win, win, WIN!

So the question is. If these companies continue this troubling trend, should there be Government intervention to protect the population? Should the Government go further and regulate the ability of telecommunications companies to sell access to text messages to their paying customers for commercial advertising?

While I do not appreciate these messages, I understand it’s a business, and I do not want the heavy hand of the State to get involved in policing private sector actors. I think a reasonable resolution would be for the consumer to have the option to “opt-out” of receiving promotional messages—a simple solution.

This way, people who do not want to will not get them, and people who do or don’t care will continue to receive them.

As for this particular “Class 0 Message,” I do believe the government should intervene and make sure that this level of intrusion is strictly reserved for emergencies.

Thanks to my willingness to post about these subjects of ethical marketing campaigns. I know Flow and Digicel will never advertise with me or sponsor my independent journalism. But that’s the sacrifice I make in the name of journalistic integrity.

Be strong, stay safe, and God Bless Saint Lucia.
#jvw7