A text message campaign sent over the weekend in favour of the Yes vote in the upcoming postal survey on marriage equality has generated a backlash and fears over data privacy.
Over the weekend thousands of Australians received a text message reading “The Marriage Equality Survey forms have arrived! Help make history and vote YES for a fairer Australia.”
It came from a number named ‘Yes Equality’ and also included the link VoteYes.org.au, which goes to a website which is part of the The Equality Campaign - a joint venture between Australian Marriage Equality and Australians for Equality.
The numbers targeted were randomised, and generated by a tech platform, although it has not been revealed what.
Twitter and Facebook lit up with people asking where the campaign got their number from, and raised concerns over data privacy.
It has been described as spam, and an invasion of privacy and many of those contacted claim to be on the ‘do not call’ register, a database of people who have actively opted out of marketing communications.
However the campaign has dismissed the fears. Alex Greenwich, who leads the Equality Campaign says: “The campaign is using every resource available to make sure fairness and equality are achieved for all Australians.
“The campaign has a responsibility to encourage every Australian to post their survey and we have done this through doorknocking, media, advertising, social media and SMS messaging.”
Shirleene Robinson, a spokesperson from Equality Campaign also tells AdNews:
"The process of a public vote is one which opposed but now that it has happened we have a duty to all LGBTI people and indeed all Australians to do everything we can to ensure a yes result. This includes door knocking, community events, TV, radio, online as well as calls and texts. This is no different from the processes used in any election in Australia.
"This is a vote about the lives and dignity of real people and for LGBTI people this public vote on their equality is more important than any general election so we are going to give it our all.
"The response to the campaign including this weekends texts has been overwhelmingly positive with hundreds of thousands of people joining the campaign and getting their vote posted."
Others have pointed out the irony of outrage over a text message, when the country is being asked to vote on the validity of people’s relationships.
Do not be annoyed about receiving a text message. Be annoyed about Aus being forced to have an unnecessary and divisive public opinion poll.
— Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) September 24, 2017
Just received text message from YesEquality "telling" me to vote yes!!...what an invasion of privacy & how did they get my number??? 😠😠😠😠
— Helen M. 🙋♀️ 🇦🇺 (@mogg67) September 23, 2017
You: enraged that you got a text message about voting yes
— Bec Shaw (@Brocklesnitch) September 24, 2017
Me: got a form to my house that allows everyone to vote on my relationship
And not everyone was angry about it.
I'm way more annoyed about an unsolicited $122m postal survey asking strangers to vote on my rights than an unsolicited free SMS saying YES
— QuentinR (@QuentinRendell) September 24, 2017
Tanya Plibersek, deputy opposition leader and ardent supporter of marriage equality, appeared on ABC TV on Sunday to defend the text message campaign.
"One of the things that is most irritating about this is people who are getting their goat up about the SMS messages coming out urging a Yes vote," she said.
"When the Yes campaign actually goes out and campaigns, like it would in a general election, the No campaign says, 'It’s really unfair people are urging a yes vote'. It's ridiculous. We didn't want this but we've now got to campaign for it."
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop me a line at rosiebaker@yaffa.com.au
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