TextNow is the only free phone service provider with unlimited talk & text and essential data on the nation’s largest 5G network, all in one convenient app. Pulse 2.0 interviewed TextNow’s Senior Director and Head of Trust & Safety, Sean Bonawitz, to learn more about the company.
Sean Bonawitz’s Background
What is Sean Bonawitz’s background? Bonawitz said:
“I started my career in the military as a US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) bomb squad leader on a SEAL team. After several years of service, I decided to go back to school and graduated from MIT’s MBA program in 2013. I joined Deloitte as a strategy and operations consultant, and then went to Google. At Google I was a finance operations manager and eventually became a Trust & Safety (T&S) engineering program manager at YouTube.”
“Since then, I have led T&S teams at TikTok and Patreon. It’s been an incredible journey and T&S has become a real professional and personal calling for me. T&S is constantly changing and I’m grateful to have learned from some of the most innovative companies and experts in the space.”
“As for my current role, I’m now the Senior Director, Head of T&S at TextNow, the only free phone service provider in the United States. It’s a position that I’m very excited about because wireless is a new sector for me, and I feel confident about the opportunity to grow and evolve the positive impact of T&S in this landscape.”
“As the Head of T&S, I’m responsible for ensuring the safety of TextNow users across the platform. My priorities are focused on limiting access for bad actors, mitigating abuse, and fostering a positive and safe experience online for all.”
“We’ll do that by strengthening the internal technical team responsible for T&S engineering and investing in machine learning to improve proactive risk detection. I’m very confident with the incredible team we have in place. We’re well on our way to making TextNow the safest and most trusted free phone service in the market.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Bonawitz explained:
“TextNow’s core products and features are centered on delivering free and flexible phone service with an emphasis on accessibility and affordability. We provide unlimited calling and texting over Wi-Fi at no cost, making communication accessible to everyone. TextNow also offers Free Essential Data with the one-time purchase of a $4.99 SIM card, which includes access to important apps like email, navigation and rideshare.”
“Our service operates on the nation’s largest 5G network, ensuring broad and reliable coverage. Consumers have the option to choose from various data plans as needed, with flexible passes for hourly, daily, or monthly use. TextNow’s ad-based model covers the costs of service, eliminating the need for users to pay monthly bills or deal with surprise fees.”
“It’s clear that today’s consumers don’t want to pay astronomical prices for phone service which is why the team at TextNow wanted to re-imagine the traditional carrier model. It’s an innovative approach and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates TextNow from its competition? Bonawitz affirmed:
“Several things differentiate us from competitors. In a nutshell, TextNow makes phone service free, easy and accessible to all. We were the first and only mobile provider to offer free unlimited calling, texting, and now essential data on the nation’s largest 5G network.”
“Unlike other carriers looking to charge more, TextNow provides price conscious consumers with a way to stay connected without ‘breaking the bank’ and gives them control over when they pay.”
“Our goal has always been to offer free data for essential applications like email, maps, and ride sharing in the offering. We can offer free data by using the same logic and business model that makes the world’s most successful apps free — advertising. And we’ve been focused on expanding this model to offer more to our consumers for less.”
A Rewarding Role
What has been the most rewarding part about your role with TextNow so far? Bonawitz reflected:
“The most rewarding part of my role at TextNow has been seeing how our work directly impacts people’s lives, especially in an increasingly uncertain online environment. The digital world can be a challenging and unsafe place, which is why our role in safeguarding our consumers is so crucial.”
“We’re not just providing free phone service – we’re creating a secure and supportive space where people can communicate with ease. It’s incredibly gratifying to see our team come together to address the ever-evolving threats and to build features that protect and reassure our TextNow community.”
Trust & Safety Philosophy
How has the company’s Trust & Safety philosophy and technology evolved since launching and can you share any significant milestones? Bonawitz noted:
“TextNow was founded 15 years ago, in 2009, so the way consumers use and engage with technology has evolved significantly since then. From a T&S standpoint, our overarching philosophy and purpose is to make TextNow the safest and most trusted free phone service. A key distinction is the free category and the creative ways we offer more to our customers for less. That’s our business model. It’s our passion and we are committed to offering that to our consumers.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Bonawitz and the team face in building the company? Bonawitz acknowledged:
“The efforts of the T&S team are certainly challenging at times as we’re constantly working on the frontlines to keep our consumers safe from harm. This job has become more complex with the explosive growth of online activity and how consumer behavior is evolving, but it’s also very rewarding. I get to work alongside some of the most talented and mission-driven engineers, data scientists, and product leaders in the business.”
“It’s easy to focus on the negative activity online. Behind the scenes, T&S professionals are the people responsible for building new technology that keeps us all safe. For every negative online incident you may hear about, there are thousands of positive stories delivered everyday by T&S teams across the tech and wireless industry. At TextNow, we’re focused on making free phone service possible and with that will come some hurdles, but I like to focus on the good things that our team is accomplishing – that makes it all worth it at the end of the day.”
Team Success Stories
Can you share any of your team’s recent success stories? Bonawitz highlighted:
“Our team is continually looking for ways to improve and we’ve outlined a roadmap that we’re proud of. First, we’re investing in machine learning to improve our proactive risk detection. We’re also strengthening existing partnerships with third-party industry leaders focused on telecom risk mitigation. Lastly, we continue to support law enforcement orders and requests with a fully dedicated internal team and process.”
“My role is to become a great business partner, help our growth and product teams stay aware of any risks, support them to move quickly and prevent any serious issues from escalating on the platform.”
“And then, of course, for our own team, we want to continue to mature and solidify. Even before I joined TextNow, it was already a high-performing team, but now we have a more formal structure. We’re adding more team members, and we are continuing to expand our vendor strategy.”
Future Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals when it comes to Trust & Safety? Bonawitz pointed out:
“Our main goal doesn’t change. We are here to deliver a secure and supportive space where people can communicate with ease, and ensure bad actors are detected quickly before issues escalate.”
“As I spoke about earlier, the T&S team is focused on enhancing and building on the tools and solutions we have in place that equip our growth and product teams, be aware of the risk and help them move faster when needed.”
“While these may change over time, the key pillars of our T&S program are what I discussed prior. We will continue improving proactive detection through ML, strengthening partnerships with third-party industry leaders, and supporting law enforcement with our fully dedicated internal team and process.”
Additional Thoughts
Anything else you’d like to add? Bonawitz concluded:
“The TextNow leadership team has been very strategic and thoughtful in their efforts to bolster new T&S efforts and that’s something I truly admire. Everyone should have access to an affordable phone service and with that, it should be safe to use. As we start a New Year, I’m looking forward to building out the program alongside the rest of the T&S team in the months to come.”
