Smart and Globe Telecom were fined for text spam!
Jhay posted about the current pestilence of mobile world, spam text messages. I’ve been receiving promotional text messages and “free” inspiring quotes, feng shui tips, etc. from Smart every time I load up. I usually reload my cell phone thrice a week and it is how frequent I get those messages. Although they are helpful tips to some extent, they get annoying sometimes especially if you are in a middle of some more important things than opening your cellphone and seeing it’s just a spam text message. What’s frustrating even more is you don’t have an option to block these messages, unlike in inbox spam messages which can be opted to be stored at the bulk mail folder or blocked using anti-spams.
Many subscribers have been complaining about the issue which has been their dilemma for quite a time now. It seems that their complaints were heeded since the two major telecommunications company providers, Smart Communications, Inc. and Globe Telecom, along with other communication companies, were penalized by the National Telecommunications Commission due to spam text messages. Smart were penalized a total of P20,800 and Globe of P12,200 for unwanted messages.
Smart argued that these messages are free of charge, but NTC didn’t consider that argument the fact that these are unwanted messages and are sent out to those who did not subscribe for these messages. Smart also has violated some rules and regulations of the NTC because of sending text messages between 9p.m. and 7a.m., which is barred except for paid subscription, failure to provide for a command on how to opt out; and failure to adopt the keyword “STOP” as the universal keyword for opting-out. Source: GMANews.tv
Globe was also found to violate similar rules and regulations and NTC is said to issue another decision against them and other content providers. These is good news to all constantly annoyed subscribers.
Recently, I’ve been receiving promotional messages for Smart services from unknown numbers. I receive at least 1 per week. This case happens because of the Unlimited Text Messaging implemented by some cellphone service providers, which allows text spammers to send multiple messages to random users. I think these service providers should innovate a message blocker for cell phones.
Finally somebody’s doing something!
I think it’s the content providers that should be penalised for these invasions of privacy and not the telcos themselves especially now that these cp’s seem to be already capable of by-passing the telcos by using private numbers.
If I remember right, telcos generally don’t allow their sanctioned cp’s to send spam– at the risk of the latter’s services getting scrapped. It is these smaller fry that cause all the trouble.
Then again, the telcos should have some mechanism of finding out whom and where these unsolicited texts using private numbers come from so that those people can be prosecuted. They’re really very annoying!
hello, I am terry, I like the skin of this red color very much, can you offer me one copy this red one?
my email is job.terry@gmail.com
with many thanks.
Yes, at least the a part of the government is doing service to the people. SMS spam should simply end.
Thanks for the link-love by the way.
its election time. i just hope di pasukin ng mga unwanted campaign text ang mga celfone natin.
Hello terry, I may offer this version for download some time. I will try to send it to you when I get the time.
Jhay: Yeah, finally! At least it made an impression to the people that they are still functional. Haha.
Cruise: I hope there will be reasonable sanction for that, if it happens. I think it can be reported to NTC so they can make appropriate actions.
I love this theme — where can I download it?
Thanks
They are not fined hard enough. They paid pennies for it. It’s not enough to make them regret doing it.