Commission Applies New Procedures to Reduce Annoying Promotional Messages

The Communications and Information Technology Commission announced the start of implementing new procedures to reduce annoying or spam promotional text messages, which included applying new technical solutions for users by providing a service to control promotional text messages and activating the link between mobile telecom service providers and SMS service providers to regulate the provision of this service.

The Commission explained that it classified short text messages (SMS) into non-promotional messages (warning, awareness, service, personal) that reach all users, and promotional messages subject to an advanced technical solution that enables the user to control promotional messages, such that they have three options: either blocking all promotional text messages, accepting all promotional text messages, or partial reception, giving the user the ability to block specific advertising messages.

The Commission said that joint work between the Commission and mobile telecom service providers over the past two months led to a (24%) reduction in promotional text messages and a significant reduction in spam messages, with a (34%) increase in the number of users wishing to block promotional messages. The Commission added that during this period, the services of (33) violating SMS service providers were suspended. The Commission also directed mobile telecom service providers to announce the new mechanism for benefiting from the promotional message control service and clarify it on their websites, and through short text messages.