Finally, a way to end the scourge of premium SMS rip-offs

Stuart Corner
Sunday, 07 March 2010 16:47

Your IT - Mobility

From 1 July 2010 all Australian mobile phone users will be able to block the ability of their phone to send messages to premium SMS numbers thus protecting themselves from the scourge of dubious SMS based moneymaking schemes.

Initially mobile users will have to call their service provider to implement premium SMS blocking but the ACMA says it considers that mobile phone companies should move towards enabling consumers to request quick and easy barring via SMS. It plans to meet with senior representatives from mobile phone companies to discuss the introduction of this service for consumers and timings.

New rules to stop mobile phone companies engaging with rogue operators are also being developed. If implemented these rules would require mobile service providers and aggregators not to contract with content suppliers or aggregators who have not registered with Communications Alliance Ltd.

Under the proposed rules mobile service providers would also be required to suspend billing customers for the services of content suppliers or aggregators that the ACMA had found to be in breach of the Mobile Premium Services Industry Code C637: 2009 and to have behaved in a way that was "significantly detrimental to the interests of consumers."

The code was developed by the industry through Communications Alliance and registered by the ACMA in May 2009, making compliance mandatory.

It came into effect on 1 July 209 and since then, according to the ACMA, complaints to the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman about premium SMS services have decreased by 50 percent.

However consumer organisation were far from happy, claiming it did not go far enough to protect consumers from rogue operators. They are unlikely to be entirely happy with this latest initiative from the ACMA.


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