Canadian Phone Company Selling Porn

westcoaster004 writes "Telus, Canada's second-largest telecommunications carrier has started selling pornography to its cellular subscribers. The service allows subscribers with mobile browsers to purchase both photographic and video adult-oriented content from Telus, at an average of CD$4 per download. Telus decided to introduce the service after noticing that there existed a certain 'segment of the population that is interested in that content' from review of the mobile Web browsing habits of their subscribers 'on an aggregate level.' They are the first telecommunications company in Canada to offer such content. A Telus spokesman said: 'We're fairly certain that if our competitors in Canada haven't launched it, they will soon. Same in the US.'"

Interesting

[JoshJ (1009085)]

How big is Canada's bloc of religious wackos who think anything sexual is so horrible it needs to be banned? I'm hoping it's significantly smaller than it is in the US so that this excellent example of free speech will hold up as something for America to follow.

Re:

[by Anonymous Coward]

Porn is for pigs. This is a reason the Islam nuts want to kill the western people. Civilsation is in reverse and you sound cutting edge.

Re:Interesting

[by Anonymous Coward]

Defy radical Islamism by continuing to watch porn, North America. Or else the terrorists will have won.

Re:Interesting

[king-manic (409855)]

How big is Canada's bloc of religious wackos who think anything sexual is so horrible it needs to be banned? I'm hoping it's significantly smaller than it is in the US so that this excellent example of free speech will hold up as something for America to follow.

I live in the middle of the largest bloc of "wackos", work for the company in question. The wackos are mostly harmless and get pummelled into submission by the minorities and liberal press. Our "conservative wackos" would problably pass as "democrats" in the states.

Re:Interesting

[Dorceon (928997)]

In Canada, violence is harmful and sex not so much! It's backwards land!

In other news, automobile accidents on rise

[goombah99 (560566)]

Forget the religious wackos. Now instead of one handed cell phone using drivers were going to have people diving with their knees while they use the other hand to choke their chicken.

Re:Interesting

[kripkenstein (913150)]

How big is Canada's bloc of religious wackos who think anything sexual is so horrible it needs to be banned?

1. Don't equate pornography with sex. It isn't the same. You can be pro-sex but not pro-pornography.

2. That said, I would say that 95% of violently anti-pornography people are, at some level, anti-sex.

Re:Interesting

[nightfire-unique (253895)]

A fear or pornography is rooted in the religious belief that on some level, sex itself is harmful and/or immoral. Consider the term: innocent. Someone who is a virgin is often described as innocent. The opposite of innocent is guilty. Guilty of what?

We are a heavily Christian-influenced society and many of our collective morals are derived from this. It's still so pervasive that we don't recognize it. But we are changing, slowly, to a more neutral "live and let live" mentality.

Re:

[creimer (824291)]

Simple. If you're viewing pornographic material in a public area and people call the cops, you can be busted for indecent exposure. Do it within distance of a school, get busted as a child molester. Remember, not all "wackos" are fundamentalist fruitcakes. Some are concerned citizen who don't want their neighborhoods turned into a red light district.

Re:

[montyzooooma (853414)]

"That is why Britain (a mostly agnostic and atheist country) seems to have more of them per capita than the US"

That would explain why our free to air TV is so bland and safe and not at all full of swearing and nudity. Oh wait a minute....

But seriously, aside from the Jerry Springer Opera fiasco which was an extremely organised campaign, we don't have anything like the Mary Whitehouse movement given any mainstream credibility. And the religious movements that there are react to perceived threats to their

Re:

[exp(pi*sqrt(163)) (613870)]

In case you didn't notice this is one party selling porn to another adult party. Which is still legal in the states.

Yes, but if AT&T, say, started selling porn this way, then significant groups who have dealings with AT&T would pull out of other deals refusing to deal with such a company. So even though someone may want to buy porn from AT&T, and AT&T may want to sell it, other parties who deal with AT&T get to veto it. At each stage, all of the parties appear free to choose which contr

Re:Interesting Paranoia

[exp(pi*sqrt(163)) (613870)]

What prudishness exactly are you referring to?

The one that results in a nationwide furore over the accidental revelation of a nipple during a live TV performance. The one that causes a bare ass to be blurred out when shown on an innocent movie like The Full Monty. The one where you can't use a nude female body to sell a product used in the shower. I'm probably referring to the US you don't realise exists until you step outside its borders for a few minutes to contrast and compare. It's also the culture where people care more about the sexual infidelity of the president than the sacrifice of thousands of lives for a war started under false pretenses.

Re:free speech? kiss it goodbye.

[Arivia (783328)]

I applaud you for having no idea how the Canadian telecommunications field works. From a Canadian perspective, the idea of porn is a minor issue, and the media issue is a non-issue. It's a completely different game up here, bucko.

Quiz question:

[PopeRatzo (965947)]

Why are Canadian politics like Belgian baseball?

Kids

[Mark_MF-WN (678030)]

Your kids can already watch porn on their cellphones (as I found out in class a few weeks ago). All Telus is doing is offering to sell pornography. The free stuff was already available. So, for that matter, were commercial porn sites, for kids that have a credit card.

The thing is, if you're too goddam fucking stupid to NOT activate the adult-content service when you sign up for your child's cell phone contract, you deserve whatever you get. Granted, most people are indeed too stupid to even read their

Re:

[Mark_MF-WN (678030)]

What makes you think that Americans don't want their business minded? We're talking about a very insecure, frightened people here. A people without even the basic comforts of modern living, like profanity and explicit sex on broadcast television. Having other people mind their business makes Americans feel safe, loved, and protected.

Freedom was a nice idea, but most people prefer to live in a cage. The cage has nice, well-delineated boundaries (the walls of the cage), you know your place (inside the c

Blame Canada jokes

[RelliK (4466)]

in 3...2...1...

wait, I got one

[RelliK (4466)]

Canada. The land of the beaver [roots.com].

Unfortunate phrasing in TFA

[patio11 (857072)]

"They can keep it in their pocket."

Re:Unfortunate phrasing in TFA

[chris_mahan (256577)]

I think it was more tongue-in-cheek.

\me ducks.

Selling porn?

[GMontag (42283)]

I still can not figure out why anybody buys porn when so much of it is still free, as in beer as it were.

Guessing it might be harder to get free on one's phone as I have not tried to get it at all on mine, but still.

Re:

[irc.goatse.cx troll (593289)]

Paying for quality, I guess. Not that I'd pay, but most of what I get is torrents of questionable legality.
It also depends on what you want. If you had a really specific fetish and there was a site for it, I could see paying for it rather than having to settle for whats mainstream.

Not to mention the crowd that just doesnt know any better.

Re:

[lachlan76 (770870)]

If you had a really specific fetish and there was a site for it, I could see paying for it rather than having to settle for whats mainstream

That's true. Plenty of videos of nurses on the trackers, most of which have a senior nurse come in. But how often easy is it to find a video of Senior Administrative Nurses?

Re:

[neoform (551705)]

You wouldn't be able to get it for free if some people didn't pay for it.

Also, this new cell phone deal is pretty sweet, not I can download porn on the bus!

understatement

[scenestar (828656)]

Telus decided to introduce the service after noticing that there existed a certain 'segment of the population that is interested in that content'

You mean 98.7 percent of the entire adult population.

Rip-off

[Whiney Mac Fanboy (963289)]

mobile browsers to purchase both photographic and video adult-oriented content from Telus, at an average of CD$4 per download.

Goddamn! $4 for images & videos... I guess Canadian Telcos are as fond of screwing their customers as the US's.

Well...

[Frosty Piss (770223)]

I guess Canadian Telcos are as fond of screwing their customers...

It is porn...

Re:

[Virak (897071)]

You'd need a few more zeroes for that.

$4 CAD = about -$0.02 USD and a punch in the face.

Re:Rip-off

[nmb3000 (741169)]

$4 Canadian is like, what? a dime?

Ah, poor Canada. For those confused about America's northern neighbor here are some comparisons:

America: A country with four seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter.
Canada: A country with two seasons: cold and not-as-cold (but still pretty cold).

America: Has the most powerful military machine on the planet.
Canada: Has two jeeps and one helicopter, currently waiting on parts.

America: Finds it difficult to apologize, especially to China.
Canada: Apologizes as a form of introduction.

And the one that reminded me of all this:

American: Wouldn't bend over to pick up a Canadian quarter.
Canadian: Wouldn't do it either.

I kid, I kid. (source [birchlake.us])

Such a dirty word...

[Frosty Piss (770223)]

"Pornography" is such a dirty word... Let's call it what it is, erotica.

Re:Such a dirty word...

[creimer (824291)]

I think a lot of American politicians would have trouble spelling that word. That's why they call it smut. Only four letters and it rhymes with Smurf (i.e., the cartoon show with one girl and so many guys).

Coming soon to U.S.? Ha!

[phillymjs (234426)]

'We're fairly certain that if our competitors in Canada haven't launched it, they will soon. Same in the US.'

Yeah, right, buddy. Maybe the population as a whole is a little more liberal up there in America Junior, but if AT&T, Verizon or any other U.S. cell provider even floats that idea in a meeting, the Bible-thumpers will start up the boycotts and letter-writing campaigns and raise all kinds of hell to make sure it never comes to fruition.

~Philly

Telus

[MarkRose (820682)]

Telus is actually a fairly progressive company. They even started using VOIP for long distance back in 2002 [nortel.com]. Home Internet service is quite reliable (they don't even shape bittorrent traffic, that I'm aware of), and they're often upgrading ADSL service at no extra charge (though I splurged for a 6.0/1.0 connection at $45/mn). They also stand up for their customers, refusing to give out customer details without a subpoena, etc. The Mobility division (cell phones, etc) is also quite competitive, though they do rape you with long distance charges on cellphones, but no one has the same coverage they do. Honestly, this latest move doesn't surprise me too much (though I was surprised when it first showed up on my cell's browsing homepage).

Re:Telus

[ceoyoyo (59147)]

If only they didn't have to be frequently censured by the CRTC for abysmal customer service, commonly lie to their customers when they do have problems with their services, and have so many problems with their bureaucracy that it takes them a month to actually switch DSL service to a new account.

Re:Telus

[quantaman (517394)]

They also blocked access [www.cbc.ca] to one of their unions websites during a strike.

What will happen

[by Anonymous Coward]

when Canadians and others with porn on their mobilephones, beknownstly or unbekonwnstly illegal in the US arrive in the US and get deatained for it? It all sounds so salacious. what is an agent thinks the "performers" or "models" are not of age (even if there were) how'd you prove it quickly? I see lots of inconveneince. Leave your porn home....

Anyway, what kind of mentality do thse people have needing porn on their phones.. Can't they wait till they get back home (or office at worst).

Talk about peopl

Oh great

[Stephen Tennant (936097)]

As if driving and talking on the phone wasn't dangerous enough. How will I hold the steering wheel?

porn can subsidise non-porn!

[romit_icarus (613431)]

Porn is a high margin business, and as long as there are adequate safeguards and above the law, it's ethical.

The moralists may object, but when they see how common phone services like voice, data are cheaper because of the porn revenue stream, they should come on the telco's side.

Of course it will help if the telecom peddles the porn under a different brand name...

Re:

[hasbeard (982620)]

Well, except for the fact that it demeans women (and men for that matter), cheapens and turns a God-given gift into a commodity, reduces human beings from being to people to be loved and honored to being objects and tools for one's one self-gratification-- not much I guess.

Re:

[king-manic (409855)]

Well, except for the fact that it demeans women (and men for that matter), cheapens and turns a God-given gift into a commodity, reduces human beings from being to people to be loved and honored to being objects and tools for one's one self-gratification-- not much I guess.

Are you talking about pornography or labor. I get confused about the difference....

Re:

[JebusIsLord (566856)]

I expect the grandparent is the sort of person who gets sex and demeaning physical labour mixed up quite often.

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[Virak (897071)]

Well, except for the fact that it demeans women (and men for that matter),

This argument has always confused me. If people are willing to be in porn, even if it 'demeans' them, then why shouldn't they be allowed to? They're adults, and they're only 'harming' themselves, if it could even be called that. It just doesn't make sense, unless you mean that it demeans *everyone*, in which case it makes even *less* sense in other ways.

cheapens and turns a God-given gift into a commodity,

If you can find significant evidence of a loving god, of the kind whose gifts would be worthy respecting, then maybe you'd have a point.

reduces human beings from being to people to be loved and honored to being objects and tools for one's one self-gratification

See above. If you mean human beings that are in porn, it's their choice, and if you mean all humans, I'd like to see you explain how that works.

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[hasbeard (982620)]

Actually, I didn't say they shouldn't be allowed to. The OP asked a question, and I answered it. He asked what is wrong with pornography and I replied with the statements you have quoted about people demeaning themselves. I didn't make any statements about what people should be allowed or not allowed to do. The fact that people make a choice to participate in a given behavior doesn't lessen the harm it does to them.

Re:

[Virak (897071)]

Okay, then I'm still confused as to how exactly it demeans them.

And don't bring religion or morals into this without proof that your choice of such is correct.

Nothing.

[Virak (897071)]

And most people bring up 'morals' because most people are idiots and are incapable of seeing the world from someone else's view, and also incapable of seeing the inherent subjectivity of morality.

Re:

[RuBLed (995686)]

"Porn to me, replicates what happens in real life...in the real world."

Are you sure? IMHO, it's equivalent to saying that CSI / TV-Drama's replicates what happens in real life in the real world, but in a more exagerrated way.. And by exagerrated, you would know what I mean. O wait,.. this is slashdot.....

IMHO, I find these morals good in a sense that I would prefer living in area where such good morals are upheld than in one where it isn't. It brings a sense of protection for me, my family, etc...

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[king-manic (409855)]

Are you sure? IMHO, it's equivalent to saying that CSI / TV-Drama's replicates what happens in real life in the real world, but in a more exagerrated way.. And by exagerrated, you would know what I mean. O wait,.. this is slashdot.....

IMHO, I find these morals good in a sense that I would prefer living in area where such good morals are upheld than in one where it isn't. It brings a sense of protection for me, my family, etc

I miss the point of the first sentence. CSI is to crime investigation as Porn is to sex. Both are fake replicas that stress quick umm.. resolution over the truth behind normal situations.

IMHO, areas of strict morality only hide the vices better. Strict morality does not generally make you a better person. For each giving and self sacraficing "moral" person there is a dozen hippocritical, hateful "moral" person. Ditto for the Immoral.

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[Beryllium Sphere(tm) (193358)]

>Porn to me, replicates what happens in real life...in the real world.

How often have you seen someone in a porn film use a condom or say "I love you"?

Re:What really is wrong with porn?

[grimJester (890090)]

Porn to me, replicates what happens in real life..

Speak for yourself :(

Re:

[Virak (897071)]

They came out with those a while ago, I think they're called 'girlfriends'. I can't seem to find any, though, so I suspect it might've just been a joke.