With the number of global unsolicited text messages on the increase, various countries are passing new legislation to curb the mobile spam phenomenon. The European Union has also joined this move with new legislation coming into effect, stipulating that e-mail and mobile messages may not be sent without the consent of the recipient.
These measures are being put in place as the number of unsolicited messages increase to record numbers, with the UK`s Daily Mirror reporting that the number of annual unsolicited text messages in Britain have doubled to 2 billion in the past two years.
Unsolicited messages often coincide with premium rated offerings that do not exist, tainting the industry and inviting aggressive responses from consumers. Various networks have introduced measures to identify the perpetrators of mobile spam, but these are not always accessible or known to the recipient.
Clickatell, a leading mobile message aggregator, supports the global moves to curb spam. Says Clickatell`s marketing director, Danie du Toit: "Clickatell was one of the first bulk SMS providers to promote an anti-spam policy. We believe in privacy and we do not tolerate unsolicited messages through our system. Given the correct details, Clickatell is able to locate and lock down perpetrator accounts within seconds."
According to Du Toit, there is a marked difference between e-mail and SMS spam: "Firstly, SMS message costs are much higher than e-mail, which will prove to curb the volumes of mobile spam to some extent. Further to this, mobile numbers are less accessible than e-mail addresses, but this only holds true if your name is not on someone`s list yet. Ultimately, it will remain the sender`s responsibility to see to it that he or she is acting in accordance with not only the law, but also with the recipient`s expressed wishes. This rules out opt-out lists and calls for responsible marketing."
"Clickatell acts in this equation much the same as a mobile network or a postal service," Du Toit continues. "You cannot hold the postal service responsible for unwanted mail, only the sender. In the same way, you cannot hold the mobile network or an aggregator responsible for unwanted messages."
Whatever the future may hold for mobile spam is as yet unclear, but it seems that the industry is taking it seriously and is gearing itself for action against spammers.
Clickatell can be visited at: http://www.clickatell.com/
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