Prohibited Message Content

SMS has become a highly regulated channel of communication in recent years as a result of elevated levels of spam across all messaging platforms. In order to protect individuals from unwanted messages, major U.S. mobile carriers have worked with the Cellular Telephone Industries Association (CTIA) to establish a set of guidelines referred to as Messaging Best Practices and Principles. These guidelines provide an overview of messaging behaviors and content that is strictly prohibited. 

As a result, the communication industry as a whole is being pushed to leverage automated flagging for prohibited content to prevent their delivery. Prohibited content includes:

• S.H.A.F.T
  • Sex: Adult content or other content that is inappropriate for the intended audience. This encompasses anything overtly sexual or inappropriate in nature. 
  • Hate: Profanity or content that has been flagged as hateful, violent, or sent with the intention to incite violence. Hate speech, discriminatory language, and the promotion of violence fall under this category. 
  • Alcohol: Not federally illegal, but requires age gating to ensure communication happens with those legal (i.e. cannot sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21). Content related to alcohol, including beer, wine, spirits, and related products, requires careful handling. 
  • Firearms: Follows federal regulations. Firearms, explosives, firearm accessories, and depictions of violence are strictly regulated. 
  • Tobacco: Endorsement of illegal drugs or controlled substances. Includes vaping products, tobacco paraphernalia, Cannabis/CBD, and related items. 
• Illegal Substances: Follows federal regulations. 
• Gambling: Follows federal regulations.
• Sweepstakes/Contests: Sweepstakes are characterized by the element of chance and the awarding of a prize. Both state and federal laws regulate sweepstakes.
• High-risk financial services: These may include payday loans, third-party auto or mortgage loans, student loans, and cryptocurrency.
• Third-party lead generation services: Includes companies that buy, sell, or share consumer information
• “Get rich quick” schemes or multi-level marketing: Commonly characterized as spam.