Fight Back on SMS Spam

The use of SMS to deliver commercial messages to customers is increasing but customers can perceive commercial SMS as intrusive as there is no clear opt-out process, it is difficult for customers to avoid the message and there is no indication of who sent the SMS. To resolve this dilemma, the South Africa's Marketing Federation of SA (MFSA) has set up a code of practice that will govern SMS messaging, and garnered the support of the three GSM networks and over 30 service providers and businesses.

The MFSA has set up a web site that will enable recipients of SMS's to look up who the sender is, provided they are a participant in the code of practice, and also get details of how to unsubscribe or contact the sender directly.

Where an SMS spam has been sent, recipients will be able to lodge a complaint and if sufficient complaints are received then the MFSA will take further action if it can trace the spammer.

The code of practice bans the use of spam however by insisting that any SMS's are only sent to persons who have opted in to receive messages, either from the company directly, or via a mailing list that permits SMS marketing messages to be sent.

The web site is at http://www.smscode.co.za/"

Posted to the site on 9th April 2003