A newly launched Christian mobile phone service is drawing criticism after announcing plans to block LGBTQ+ content for subscribers. Radiant Mobile was launched this week as a “faith-focused mobile service” operating on the T-Mobile network. The company says it aims to filter what it calls harmful content, including queer material, pornography, and explicit content. According to The Independent, the service is believed to be the first mobile network specifically designed to block LGBTQ+ content.
The company has partnered with Israeli cybersecurity firm Allot to help power its filtering technology. Paul Fisher, founder of Radiant Mobile, once told MIT Technology Review that he wanted to create a service void of LGBT and void of trans. He said, “We are going to create, and we think we have every right to do so, an environment that is Jesus-centric.” Radiant Mobile says parents can customize restrictions for children, block entire social media platforms like TikTok, and prevent the use of VPNs designed to bypass content filters.
The company’s approach mirrors rhetoric often used by opponents of LGBTQ+ rights who claim exposure to queer people or information is harmful to children. Mental health researchers and advocates, however, have long found that online LGBTQ+ communities can provide critical support for queer and transgender youth, especially those living in unsupportive homes. Radiant Mobile has also reportedly recruited Christian influencers across the United States to promote the service.
