JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX I-TEAM has uncovered new details about an anonymous mass text message campaign targeting two prominent Jacksonville leaders.
The messages take aim at JEA CEO Vickie Cavey, alleging ongoing scandals and mismanagement. Another set of texts questions how Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce President Daniel Davis spends taxpayer money.
The texts have been sent to hundreds, possibly thousands, of North Florida residents. The sender remains unknown, using spoofed phone numbers to conceal their identity.
RELATED: Anonymous text campaign targets Jacksonville civic leader, echoing attacks on JEA CEO | Anonymous text targets JEA CEO amid ongoing political tensions
Technology experts say the tools needed to carry out this kind of campaign are widely available.
“There are services — paid services — that can be used to do this,” said Ian Marlow, CEO of Fintech Consultants. “It’s not typically an individual acting alone. They’re using an online platform to distribute messages at scale.”
Marlow said obtaining large lists of phone numbers is relatively easy, and the cost to send mass texts anonymously is low. He added that payment methods can be difficult to trace.
“You can buy prepaid gift cards that aren’t tied to a name,” Marlow said. “You can also use disposable email accounts. That makes it harder to identify who’s behind the messages.”
He also noted that laws regulating robocalls and mass texting often lag behind rapidly evolving technology.
News4JAX has learned this type of messaging may be considered protected speech. Legal experts point to the 1994 U.S. Supreme Court case McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission, which upheld the right to distribute anonymous political material.
The court ruled that anonymity is a longstanding part of free political expression, and criticism of public officials generally falls within those protections.
While the content of the texts could potentially raise defamation concerns, there is no indication that either Cavey or Davis plans to pursue legal action.
Experts warn that as Florida heads deeper into an election year, similar campaigns could become more common.
“There are legitimate uses for this technology,” Marlow said. “But like anything else, it can also be used by groups with opposing agendas.”
These types of messages are often classified as issue advocacy, a form of political communication.