Put a stop to SMS spam
2007-08-02 07:02
Johannesburg - All commercial SMS spam to cellphones must in future contain the option of stopping these adverts with an SMS.
New regulations in effect from August 1 make it compulsory for companies sending SMS messages within South Africa to offer consumers a way of opting out from receiving unsolicited commercial SMSs by replying with the word "stop" from their phone.
The regulation has been introduced by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association (Waspa) and accepted by the South African SMS-messaging industry.
In addition, the "stop" SMS option must appear at the top of the SMS and it may not cost more than a standard SMS, or an alternative option must be provided.
Dr Pieter E Streicher, chief executive of BulkSMS.com, which provides bulk SMS options, says with the "stop" function users will be able to stop unwanted SMSs and have their numbers removed from databases.