How to avoid any blockage in your SMS sendings

This article provides recommendations to follow regulations and best practices to avoid any SMS blocking.

What is SMS Blocking or Rejection?

Based on various parameters (number of messages sent, keywords, links, repetition, sender, etc.), phone operators detect SMS campaigns or mass messages. If these messages are suspicious or directly violate any regulations in the destination country, the messages are rejected/blocked and are not delivered to the final recipients.

Some may even be validated by the operators (status Delivered or Approved). This way, phone operators do not give "clues" to potential violators to avoid the filters through a trial-and-error technique.

In general, any rejected or blocked message incurs a cost as the sending process has been executed. Additionally, depending on the severity of the violation or blockage, it may result in permanent blocks or financial penalties and potentially initiate legal proceedings based on the broken regulation or legislation.

What Types of SMS Content are Subject to Rejection or Blocking?

The content or types of messages not allowed vary depending on the destination country and the phone operators' filters.

Some content that may be subject to blocking includes:

• Content classified without a valid origin. Especially content related to official bodies, financial institutions, or recognized brands.
• Political content. In general, or during specific periods such as election campaigns or reflection days.
• Unwanted content. Messages sent massively without the consent of the final recipients.
• Prohibited content. In many countries, certain types of mass messages are not allowed, such as those related to religion, sex, drugs, gambling/betting, alcohol, etc.
• Invalid links. SMS messages containing links directing users to suspicious resources (executables, compressed documents, etc.) or domains with a low reputation.
• Fraudulent content. Any message that violates the law with the intent of malicious activities such as identity theft, obtaining credentials, harassment, illegal data collection, etc.

Recommendations for Compliance and Avoiding Blockage

Here are some recommendations to ensure compliance with the law and avoid any SMS blockage or mass rejection. These measures are presented in three blocks, ordered by importance.

1. SMS Regulatory Bodies

Firstly, it is always recommended that any company check whether the mass messages or SMS campaigns they send are accepted according to the regulatory body of the destination country.

Specifically, you should consult the law regulating SMS communications in each country and contact the responsible body if there are any doubts or queries.

Here are the communications regulators (including SMS messages) by country:

2. Personal Data Protection Law

Secondly, comply with all requirements regarding personal data protection (LOPD or GDPR) and obtain the consent (opt-in) of the recipients. Each country has legislation on this matter, and it is recommended to be fully informed and comply meticulously.

Most of these legislations include the following points:

• Under no circumstances should third-party or illicitly obtained databases be used.
• Explicit and demonstrable consent must be obtained for the content and type of SMS messages to be sent.
• The sender of the messages must be clearly identified. The recipient should know, or at least be able to identify, the origin of the communication without any ambiguity.
• Methods for opting out of the service must be easy and immediate to process.
• There should be easy access to contact methods to resolve any disputes, unwanted registrations, or unidentified communications. These contact methods can be included in the message itself or in attached resources (websites, documents, etc.) such as email, phone, WhatsApp, etc.
• Compliance with and review of the Robinson List (users who do not wish to receive any commercial communication).

3. Recommendations for Conducting a Mass SMS Campaign

Thirdly, and after complying with the first two points, it is important to follow some recommendations when conducting a mass SMS campaign:

• The mobile database should be cleaned or purged by removing numbers that do not comply with the mobile number format, are inactive, or have generated errors in previous sends.
• Ensure that all users who have unsubscribed (appear on the LabsMobile account BlackList) are not on the recipient list. Also, periodically review the contact list with the Robinson List.
• It is also recommended to perform initial content testing to avoid any disallowed words or terms.
• Another recommendation is to perform incremental mass sending. That is, start sending a few hundred messages, then a few thousand, and continue with larger mass sends if no problems occur.
• Finally, it is suggested to spread the campaigns over different days or hours on the same day. This functionality has been added to the LabsMobile platform and allows mass messages to be sent at X intervals, with a few minutes between each interval.

Benefits of Following Legislation and Best Practices

Here are some benefits of following the recommendations explained here:

• Avoid any penalties.
• Avoid experiencing any SMS blocking or mass rejection.
• Have greater effectiveness in the sends since all recipients have consented to the communications.
• Lower costs by sending only to valid recipients who meet all the requirements.
• Greater control of campaigns by performing incremental and/or deferred testing. Keeping the mobile database always updated and valid. This resource is a valuable asset for any brand or organization.

Conclusion

Therefore, we recommend not only being aware of and following current legislation but also taking the steps mentioned in your SMS sends or campaigns.

Implementing these recommendations ensures that your messages reach recipients, improves the effectiveness of your campaigns, and protects your business from potential penalties and blockages.