The State : Pac Bell Wins on Dial-Porn

Pacific Bell is one step closer to pulling the plug on so-called “dial-a-porn” telephone services after a favorable ruling in federal court, a company spokeswoman said. A federal judge in Washington ruled that Pacific Bell, as a private business, has the right to disconnect dial-a-porn services under federal laws. However, the utility must now determine if it has the same rights under state laws and filed a suit in San Francisco Superior Court, naming 13 dial-a-porn companies as defendants. Past efforts to ban dial-a-porn services have been blocked by First Amendment guarantees of free speech. “As a private business, Pac Bell should have the right to choose who we want and don’t want to do business with,” Pacific Bell spokeswoman Kathleen Flynn said.