U.S. wireless network operators have yet to green light a proposal that would allow U.S. consumers to contribute to political campaigns via text message. The proposal, which has been approved by the Federal Election Commission and has the support of the campaigns of presidential candidate Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, is meant to make it easier for Americans to financially support the candidates they like. The carriers, however, are worried they might be held liable for a number of issues, such as how donor eligibility is determined. As the proposal is written, donations are capped at $10 per message, $50 per month, and $200 in total per cell phone number, and are kept anonymous. Unlike charitable contributions, which carriers pass along almost in their entirety to the targeted group, the carriers would take a significant chunk of change from texted campaign contributions (30% to 50%). According to Reuters, the carriers are uncomfortable with the idea of "doing business with campaigns and their fundraising efforts." Wireless network operators have, though the CTIA Wireless Association, requested more guidance from the Federal Election Commission on how exactly the proposal might work.
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