Reply STOP for SMS spam
These new regulations, set up by WASPA, make it compulsory for companies sending SMS messages within South Africa to offer consumers a way of opting out from receiving unsolicited commercial SMS’s by replying with the word ‘STOP’ from their cell phone. This reply is to cost no more than a standard rate SMS, and where this is not possible, an alternative option must be advertised and provided.
Consumers have always been able to lodge complaints on the WASPA website, and WASPA has imposed significant fines and / or suspended messaging services of several service providers and their clients for contravening the WASPA Code of Conduct.
From the majority of complaints, it was clear that there was an additional need for a simplified standardised opt-out mechanism.
“The reply ‘STOP’ command will greatly simplify the process of stopping unwanted SMS messages.” said Dr Pieter E. Streicher, managing director of BulkSMS.com, a South African wireless applications services provider.
“It gives consumers a cell phone enabled solution to remove their cell phone number from a database. If a consumer’s opt-out request is ignored by the company sending commercial messages, the consumer may lodge a complaint with WASPA, as ignoring an opt-out request is a clear violation of the WASPA Code of Conduct.”
The wireless industry regulations set out in the WASPA Code of Conduct specifies that consumers can only receive commercial SMS messages when they have requested the message or they have a direct and recent prior commercial relationship with the message originator and would reasonably expect to receive marketing communications from them.
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