By The P2P Alliance for Responsible Political Texting
Apple has long stood at the intersection of innovation, privacy, and user empowerment. As the maker of the iPhone, arguably the most influential device of our generation, Apple has revolutionized how the world communicates. Today, that same platform is at the center of a deeply important conversation: the role of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) political text messaging in a healthy democracy.
With the upcoming release of iOS 26, Apple is reportedly introducing new message filtering capabilities that could inadvertently divert compliant, opt-in political messages into hidden inboxes, leaving millions of voters and campaigners disconnected at a critical time.
As an independent, nonpartisan industry group committed to upholding high standards in political communication, the P2P Alliance for Responsible Political Texting believes it is essential to pause and evaluate the unintended consequences of this change, not just for campaigns, but for democratic participation itself.
Political Texting Is One of the Last Open Channels for Democratic Speech
Today, political text messaging is not just a campaign tactic. It is one of the few remaining ways for candidates to reach voters directly, reliably, and legally.
- Local TV viewership is down.
- Radio is fragmented.
- Social media restricts or bans political content outright.
- Email is buried under spam.
That leaves text messaging, a compliant, traceable, opt-in channel governed by strict rules. Voters voluntarily choose to receive messages from candidates they support. Campaigns rely on this channel to inform, mobilize, and fundraise.
According to industry data, over 70% of small-dollar political donations are raised by text message. That lifeline doesn’t just fund national campaigns—it sustains down-ballot candidates, first-time candidates, and grassroots movements.
The Risk: Default Filtering Could Silence Lawful Speech
Our concern centers on a new iOS 26 feature: “Filter Unknown Senders.” According to beta testing, this feature moves messages from unknown numbers to a hidden tab without sending a push notification or alert to the user.
In the current beta version, we’re encouraged to see that this feature is off by default. But multiple reports suggest it could be turned on automatically in the full release, effectively muting messages from even verified, compliant political campaigns.
That would result in:
- Lower voter turnout, as GOTV alerts will go unread.
- Fundraising collapses, especially among small campaigns.
- Suppressed participation, as new or independent candidates lose their voice.
- Public confusion, as legal, traceable communication, is lumped in with spam and scams.
Political messages, unlike spam, come from FEC-registered campaigns using platforms that follow:
- Campaign Registry (TCR) protocols
- Campaign Verify identity validation
- Strict opt-in/opt-out enforcement
- Full sender traceability and audit trails
This isn’t the Wild West. It’s a highly compliant, accountable industry, and we believe it deserves a different classification from anonymous phishing attempts or scam content.
A Broader Impact: This Isn’t Just About Politics
While our primary concern is with political messaging, the ripple effects of this default filtering system will go well beyond campaigns.
Critical messages from:
- Hospitals and clinics
- Schools and educational programs
- Nonprofits and advocacy groups
- Local governments
…may also be sent to the unknown tab—silently and without user awareness.
If iOS 26 changes how unknown numbers are handled without clear opt-in from users, countless industries will suffer. Important reminders may go unseen. Time-sensitive information may be lost.
Our Request to Apple: Collaborate With the Industry
The P2P Alliance fully supports Apple’s mission to protect user privacy and combat fraud. We do not believe Apple is acting with political intent. In fact, we commend the company’s leadership in designing thoughtful user-first products.
That’s why we are calling for collaboration.
Our engineering partners, including those at Peerly, have reviewed iOS 26’s public beta and identified areas of concern. We’ve also co-authored a letter with Peerly addressed to Apple’s Public Policy team, encouraging open dialogue and transparency.
We respectfully ask Apple to:
- Pause the release of the feature until its democratic and public impacts can be more fully studied.
- Let users decide. This setting should remain off by default unless a user explicitly chooses to enable it.
- Honor verified political senders. Messages from registered campaigns should be treated differently from spam.
- Engage with the industry. Groups like the P2P Alliance and responsible platforms are ready to partner with Apple to protect both democratic integrity and the user experience.
We’re Actively Engaging Apple
The Peer-to-Peer Alliance for Responsible Political Texting, in partnership with Peerly, has issued a joint letter to Apple’s Government Affairs team, warning that iOS 26 could unintentionally suppress compliant political speech and disrupt democratic engagement at scale.
The P2P Alliance and Peerly remain in active dialogue with Apple and will continue to advocate for campaigns, voters, and all lawful senders affected by these changes.
Stay informed or get involved:
👉 p2palliance.com
Final Thought
Free elections depend on free speech. And today, much of that speech happens over text.
We believe Apple has the opportunity to lead again—by working with the industry to protect this vital communication channel without compromising privacy.