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Cybertelecom
Federal Internet Law & Policy
An Educational Project
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| SPAM: Wireless SPAM |
"The Commission adopted a general prohibition on sending commercial messages to any address referencing an Internet domain associated with wireless subscriber messaging services. To assist the senders of such messages in identifying those subscribers, the Commission required that commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers submit those domain names to the Commission for inclusion in a list that will be made publicly available. No individual subscriber addresses will be collected or included on this list. It also clarified the delineation between these new rules implementing the CAN-SPAM Act, and the existing rules concerning messages sent to wireless telephone numbers under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
"Specifically, the Commission has taken the following actions:
- Interpreted the scope of material covered under the definition of mobile service commercial messages (MSCMs) in the CAN-SPAM Act to include any commercial message sent to an electronic mail address provided by a CMRS provider specifically for delivery to the subscriber’s wireless device. The Commission found that Short Message Service messages transmitted solely to phone numbers (as opposed to those sent to addresses with references to Internet domains) are not covered by these protections, but all autodialed calls are already covered by the TCPA.
- Provided guidance on what falls within the definition of “commercial”, while emphasizing that the Federal Trade Commission is ultimately responsible for determining the criteria for “commercial” and what are excluded as "transactional or relationship" messages.
- Prohibited the sending of MSCMs unless the individual addressee has given the sender express prior authorization. This authorization may be given orally, in paper or electronically.
- Stated it will create a publicly available FCC wireless domain names list containing the domain names used for mobile service messaging. This will enable senders of commercial mail to determine which addresses, containing those domain names, are directed at mobile services.
- Required all CMRS providers to supply the Commission with names of all the Internet domains on which they offer mobile service messaging service. The rule prohibits sending any commercial messages to addresses that contain domain names that have been listed on the official list for at least 30 days or at
any time prior to 30 days if the sender otherwise knows that the message is addressed to a wireless device.
"The Commission found that the establishment of a list of domain names appeared to be the most effective method to allow subscribers to avoid unwanted mobile service commercial messages. The new rules impose minimal burdens on CMRS providers, and provide a variety of ways to obtain authorizations from those mobile subscribers who want to receive messages from specific senders.
"The Commission also encouraged industry to develop more mechanisms to protect wireless subscribers from unwanted commercial mail themselves."
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FCC Link
FCC Releases
- RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE CONTROLLING THE ASSAULT OF NON-SOLICITED PORNOGRAPHY AND MARKETING ACT OF 2003; RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 1991. Denied the Petition for Reconsideration filed by Cingu, FCC 3/27/2007
- RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE CONTROLLING THE ASSAULT OF NON-SOLICITED PORNOGRAPHY AND MARKETING ACT OF 2003; AND RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 1991. Amended the rules addressing unwanted mobile service commercial messages to incorporate by reference new definitions adopted by the Federal Trade Commission. (Dkt No. 02-278 , 04-53). Action by: Acting Chief, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau. Adopted: 03/24/2005 by ORDER. (DA No. 05-692). CGB, FCC 3/29/2005
- WIRELESS CARRIERS HELP COMMISSION TO PROTECT WIRELESS SUBSCRIBERS FROM SPAM. Marketers Alerted to Wireless Domain Names. News Release. (Dkt No 02-278 , 04-53). News Media Contact: Rosemary Kimball at (202) 418-0511, e-mail: Rosemary.Kimball@fcc.gov CGB. C, FCC 2/11/2005
- Released: 02/07/2005. THE CONSUMER & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF A WIRELESS DOMAIN NAMES LIST. (DA No. 05-331). (Dkt No 04-53). CGB. Contact: Kelli Farmer at (202) 418-2512, e-mail: Kelli.Farmer@fcc.gov, FCC 2/8/2005
- RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE CONTROLLING THE ASSAULT OF NON-SOLICITED PORNOGRAPHY AND MARKETING ACT OF 2003, RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING THE TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT OF 1991.
- Press Release
- FCC CAN Spam Fed Reg Notice,
- DATES SET FOR COMMENTS ON RULES TO ELIMINATE SPAM FROM MOBILE PHONES AND POSSIBLE "SAFE HARBOR" FOR TELEMARKETING CALLS TO MOBILE PHONES: Comments due April 30, 2004; replies due May 17, 2004,
- Released: 12/17/2004. THE CONSUMER & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF AN ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION PROCESS ON DECEMBER 20, 2004 FOR CMRS CARRIERS TO COMPLY W/THE WIRELESS DOMAIN NAMES LIST ESTABLISHED UNDER THE CAN-SPAM ACT. (DA No. 04-3944). (Dkt No 04-53). CGB, FCC 12/21/2004
- Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 and Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991; implementation— Consumer protection from unwanted mobile service commercial messages; correction,, Fed Reg 10/8/2004
- THE COMMISSION'S ORDER ESTABLISHING RULES IMPLEMENTING THE CAN-SPAM ACT OF 2003 PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER. Most rules are effective October 18. News Release. News Media Contact: Rosemary Kimball at (202) 418-0511, email: Rosemary.Kimball@fcc.gov CGB. Contact Ruth Yodaiken at (202) 418-2512, FCC 9/21/2004
- FCC Takes Action to Protect Wireless Subscribers From Spam. Order, FCC 8/12/2004
- FCC Takes Action to Protect Wireless Subscribers From Spam., FCC 8/9/2004 Press Release
- Rulemaking: Docket 04-53
Papers
Links
News [Recent News]
- Commercial SMS Text Messages and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Tech Law Update 12/4/2007
- T-Mobile Sued For Forcing People To Accept (And Pay For) Text Messages, Techdirt 2/4/2008
- Verizon Wireless Closes Spammer Case, Internet News 3/1/2007
- Spam to Cell Phone Violates Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Balough 1/23/2007
- Mobile Spam Slows Down, eMarketer 1/3/2007
- Spam could spell trouble for wireless industry, MSNBC 10/11/2006
- Stock Spam Hits Cellphones, Forbes 9/29/2006
- McAfee warns of 'SMiShing' attacks, Network World 8/28/2006
- Text Hackers Could Jam Cellphones, a Paper Says, NYT 10/5/2005
- Oh, SPIT! Security woes hit VoIP too, Bizjournal 9/20/2005
- Generation Y Embraces SMS, Clickz 3/15/2005
- India seeks curbs on mobile spam, BBC 2/8/2005
- FCC Lists Sites That Send Cell Phone Spam, Topix 2/8/2005
- Spam Hitting Mobile Phones Hard, Newsfactor 3/2/2005
- Mobile Spam Volume Doubles to Forty-Three Percent, WSC 3/2/2005
- Spam Plague Hits 80 Percent of Mobiles, Ecom times 2/11/2005
- FCC moves to ban spam on mobile phones, CW 8/9/2004
- Text messaging reaches new high, BBC 4/27/2004
- Mobile scheme aims to stop spam, BBC 7/9/2004
- Regulators go after wireless spam, CNET 3/11/2004
- FCC Seeks Comment on Rules to Eliminate Spam From Mobile Phones, FCC 3/11/2004
- Study: More spam served up to cell phones, CNET 2/18/2004
- E-Mailing a Cellphone by the Numbers, NYTimes 2/5/2004
- Spam invasion targets mobile phones, CNN 2/5/2004
- Text messaging reaches new high, BBC 1/23/2004
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