New regulations have come into force that will make it compulsory for companies that send SMSes within SA to give consumers an easy opt-out, reports the Daily News. The regulations have been introduced by industry regulator the Wireless Applications Service Provider Association (Waspa). The association’s Code of Conduct states 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'. All consumers need to be removed from future communications, is to respond to the SMS with the word 'Stop'. Waspa stipulates that the reply 'STOP' procedure must be included at the start of any messaging service.

Legalbrief 08-08-2007