Latest news with #NRSC
Forbes
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Apple's ‘Aggressive' iPhone Update Has ‘Profound Implications'
This is a game-changer on iPhone. Good security can be bad politics. That's certainly the case with iOS 26, the latest albeit confusingly rebadged iPhone software update that's due this fall. A 'silent' change has now come under attack from politicians, who warn of 'profound implications.' This is all about iMessage, and Apple's latest innovation to combat the scourge of malicious or just plain irritating text messages bombarding our phones daily. Apple is upping its game filtering texts into Spam and Unknown categories, silencing notifications and preventing any interaction with texts — such as links or replies. This targets marketeers as well as bad actors. But it also hits political fundraisers. As picked up by John Gruber's 'Daring Fireball,' a 'Republican election group is attempting to organize against text message filtering in iOS 26.' The group is 'freaking out,' about the prospect of fundraising texts being lost to Apple's new filters. In the letter, per Punchbowl News, NRSC says Apple's 'aggressive message filtering' will catch political texts 'from verified and compliant senders,' which will be 'treated as spam by default, silently sent to an 'Unknown' inbox with no alerts or notifications.' This, the group warns, 'has profound implications for our ability to fundraise, mobilize voters, and run digital campaigns.' It will impact 'every political message.' And because '70% of small-dollar donations come via text, and iPhones make up 60% of U.S. mobile devices, the macro effect could be over $500M in lost GOP revenue.' You can enable a setting to 'Filter Unknown Senders' on your iPhone already, and you should do exactly that. You can find this in Settings—Apps—Messages—Unknown & Spam. iOS 26 will differentiate between Spam and Unknown, which enables additional protections for Spam texts to be introduced — and that's long overdue. 'I do think, though, that many more iOS users will be using this feature starting with iOS 26,' Gruber says. 'It's both better designed and less hidden.' Malicious text campaigns have also spiraled in the last 12 months are now 'out of control.' Frequent warnings from U.S. law enforcement agencies have been issued as unpaid tolls, DMV fines and now Amazon refunds spawn billions of texts from industrial-scale cellphone farms operating from overseas. The other political dimension here is that the bulk of those malicious text campaigns originate from China's organized criminal gangs. That puts them well beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement given the strained international politics over technology.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Apple's iOS 26 text filters could cost political campaigns millions of dollars, top GOP group warns
Apple's iOS 26 will allow users to filter out texts from unknown senders. That could be a big financial problem for campaigns that rely on texts for donations. One GOP group is warning that it could lead to a $500 million loss for GOP campaigns overall. Apple's new spam text filtering feature could end up being a multimillion-dollar headache for political campaigns. iOS 26 includes a new feature that allows users to filter text messages from unrecognized numbers into an "Unknown Senders" folder without sending a notification. Users can then go to that filter and hit "Mark as Known" or delete the message. In a memo seen by BI and first reported by Punchbowl News, the official campaign committee in charge of electing GOP senators warned that the new feature could lead to a steep drop in revenue. "That change has profound implications for our ability to fundraise, mobilize voters, and run digital campaigns," reads a July 24 memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, or NRSC. The memo estimated that the new feature could cost the group $25 million in lost revenue and lead to a $500 million loss for GOP campaigns as a whole, based on the estimate that 70% of small-dollar donations come from text messages and that iPhones make up 60% of mobile devices in the US. Though some people may choose to sign up for a campaign's text messages, individuals often get texts from campaigns that they didn't sign up for, but who purchased a contact list from elsewhere. Campaigns in both parties rely on these sometimes unsolicited text messages not just for fundraising, but for voter turnout messages. "Unilaterally blocking campaigns and political parties from being able to contact voters with get-out-the-vote or persuasive messaging is voter disenfranchisement," Joanna Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the NRSC, said in a statement to BI. "It's critical Apple delay their rollout of this feature until these concerns have been addressed." iOS 26 is expected to be rolled out in mid-September. Apple senior executive Darin Adler said at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June that users using the feature "would continue to see important time-sensitive messages" like verification codes and scheduling-related messages. Adler characterized the new feature as giving users "total control over who appears in your conversation list." The NRSC memo also said that lobbyists and trade groups have been "asleep at the wheel" when it comes to the new feature and that Apple "isn't engaging." A spokesperson for the company declined to comment. "We have only a few weeks left before the public release," reads the memo. "If we're going to push back, it has to be now. We have a very narrow window to fix this." Mike Nellis, the founder of the Democratic digital fundraising firm Authentic, told BI that members of his party "need to take this seriously, but good-faith actors won't see as much of a hit." "If you're panicking about losing $500 million in revenue, it probably means you were scamming people in the first place," Nellis said. "If you can't raise money online without misleading your supporters, you deserve what you get." Nellis also said the change underscores why campaigns need to have a diverse array of fundraising and communication channels. "When there's a regulatory, product, or voter shift, you still need reliable ways to reach people," Nellis said. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Business Insider
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Apple's iOS 26 text filters could cost political campaigns millions of dollars, top GOP group warns
Apple's new spam text filtering feature could end up being a multimillion-dollar headache for political campaigns. iOS 26 includes a new feature that allows users to filter text messages from unrecognized numbers into an "Unknown Senders" folder without sending a notification. Users can then go to that filter and hit "Mark as Known" or delete the message. In a memo seen by BI and first reported by Punchbowl News, the official campaign committee in charge of electing GOP senators warned that the new feature could lead to a steep drop in revenue. "That change has profound implications for our ability to fundraise, mobilize voters, and run digital campaigns," reads a July 24 memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, or NRSC. The memo estimated that the new feature could cost the group $25 million in lost revenue and lead to a $500 million loss for GOP campaigns as a whole, based on the estimate that 70% of small-dollar donations come from text messages and that iPhones make up 60% of mobile devices in the US. Though some people may choose to sign up for a campaign's text messages, individuals often get texts from campaigns that they didn't sign up for, but who purchased a contact list from elsewhere. Campaigns in both parties rely on these sometimes unsolicited text messages not just for fundraising, but for voter turnout messages. "Unilaterally blocking campaigns and political parties from being able to contact voters with get-out-the-vote or persuasive messaging is voter disenfranchisement," Joanna Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the NRSC, said in a statement to BI. "It's critical Apple delay their rollout of this feature until these concerns have been addressed." iOS 26 is expected to be rolled out in mid-September. Apple senior executive Darin Adler said at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference in June that users using the feature "would continue to see important time-sensitive messages" like verification codes and scheduling-related messages. Adler characterized the new feature as giving users "total control over who appears in your conversation list." The NRSC memo also said that lobbyists and trade groups have been "asleep at the wheel" when it comes to the new feature and that Apple "isn't engaging." The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "We have only a few weeks left before the public release," reads the memo. "If we're going to push back, it has to be now. We have a very narrow window to fix this." Mike Nellis, the founder of the Democratic digital fundraising firm Authentic, told BI that members of his party "need to take this seriously, but good-faith actors won't see as much of a hit." "If you're panicking about losing $500 million in revenue, it probably means you were scamming people in the first place," Nellis said. "If you can't raise money online without misleading your supporters, you deserve what you get." Nellis also said the change underscores why campaigns need to have a diverse array of fundraising and communication channels. "When there's a regulatory, product, or voter shift, you still need reliable ways to reach people," Nellis said.
a day ago
- Politics
Democrat Roy Cooper launches Senate bid in North Carolina for Tillis' seat
Roy Cooper, the former Democratic governor of North Carolina, officially launched his Senate bid for Republican Sen. Thom Tillis' open seat in 2026 on Monday. 'I'm Roy Cooper, and I know that today, for too many Americans, the middle class feels like a distant dream. Meanwhile, the biggest corporations and the richest Americans have grabbed unimaginable wealth at your expense. It's time for that to change,' Cooper said in an announcement video posted on X. In his announcement, Cooper said he believes that the next election will determine 'if we even have a middle class in America anymore.' He doesn't mention President Donald Trump directly. 'Right now, our country is facing a moment as fragile as any I can remember, and the decisions we make in the next election will determine if we even have a middle class in America anymore. I never really wanted to go to Washington. I just wanted to serve the people of North Carolina, right here where I've lived all my life. But these are not ordinary times. Politicians in D.C. are running up our debt, ripping away our health care, disrespecting our veterans, cutting health for the poor, and even putting Medicare and Social Security at risk just to give tax breaks to billionaires. That's wrong, and I've had enough.' The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) responded to the news in a statement slamming Cooper as both "far left" and anti-Trump, alongside attempting to tie him to former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. 'Roy Cooper is a Democrat lapdog who spent his time as Governor sabotaging President Trump, doing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' bidding,' NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said partly in a statement. 'When Hurricane Helene hit, Cooper's gross mismanagement left over 100 North Carolinians dead and an estimated $53 billion in damage to businesses, homes, and infrastructure. North Carolina wants a senator who will champion working families, safety, and American values, not an incompetent, far-left career politician like Cooper who will wreck everything they care about.' As for the Republicans' pick, multiple sources tell ABC News that RNC Chair Michael Whatley is planning to launch a bid after being asked directly by Trump to run. Trump is hopeful that Whatley, who led the North Carolina Republican Party before becoming RNC chair, has the knowledge of the state, the national profile and the network of relationships to run a strong campaign. Tillis said in June that he would not seek reelection, citing 'the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington' and as Trump railed against him for opposing his signature megabill.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Game on in North Carolina as former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper launches Senate bid for GOP-held seat
Former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is running for the Senate in battleground North Carolina. Cooper announced his candidacy on Monday morning in the open-seat race to succeed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who announced late last month that he wouldn't run for re-election in the 2026 midterm elections. "I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I am running to be the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina," Cooper said in a social media post. Cooper's campaign launch is seen as a major coup for the Democratic Party, as he was the party's top recruit in next year's elections, bolstering their chances of flipping a key GOP-held seat as they try to take a big bite out of the Republicans' 53-47 Senate majority. His announcement was expected, as numerous news organizations, including Fox News, recently reported that the former governor would launch a campaign in the coming days. And this past weekend, at the North Carolina Democrats "Unity Dinner," Cooper teased his run during his speech. He grabbed cheers when he asked people to stand up if they were running for office in 2026 and said, "Hey, I'm not sitting down, am I." Ahead of his launch, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the Senate GOP's campaign arm, targeted Cooper in a digital ad. "Roy Cooper is a Democrat lapdog who spent his time as Governor sabotaging President Trump, doing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' bidding, releasing violent illegal aliens into North Carolina streets, and championing radical transgender ideology," National Republican Senatorial Commitee communications director Joanna Rodriguez charged in a statement Monday morning. While Cooper isn't the only Democrat to announce their candidacy – former one-term Rep. Wiley Nickel launched a campaign in April – he will instantly be considered the clear front-runner for the party's nomination in North Carolina. Cooper, who was a popular governor during his eight years steering North Carolina, was floated last year as a possible running mate for then-Vice President Kamala Harris after she succeeded then-President Joe Biden as the Democrats' 2024 presidential nominee. Cooper is likely to face off in next year's general election with Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley, in what would be one of the most competitive, bruising, and expensive Senate battles of 2026. President Donald Trump, who is the ultimate kingmaker in GOP politics and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are extremely powerful, on Thursday gave Whatley his "Complete and Total Endorsement." "Mike would make an unbelievable Senator from North Carolina. He is fantastic at everything he does, and he was certainly great at the RNC," Trump added, in a social media post. And NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina called Whatley "a strong America First conservative who will be a champion for North Carolina in the U.S. Senate. Scott noted that "the Tar Heel State has supported President Trump in all three of his elections and elected Republicans to both its U.S. Senate seats for over a decade. With Michael as our candidate, we will win it again in 2026!" Trump called Tillis' announcement last month that he wouldn't seek a third six-year term in the Senate "great news." Tillis is a GOP critic of the president, and Trump torched the senator last month for not supporting his so-called "big, beautiful" spending and tax cut bill. Lara Trump, the president's daughter-in-law and a North Carolina native who served last year alongside Whatley as an RNC co-chair, was considered to be Trump's top choice to run for Tillis' seat. But in a statement on Thursday, Lara Trump said "after much consideration and heartfelt discussions with my family, friends, and supporters, I have decided not to pursue the United States Senate seat in North Carolina at this time." Whatley, who served as chair of the North Carolina GOP before being elected last year as RNC chair, said recently in a Fox News Digital interview that the Senate showdown in the Tar Heel State is "going to be one of the marquee races in the country."
