Posted by
CmdrTaco
on from the step-in-the-right-direction dept.
mickers writes "news.com.au reports that in Australia, phone companies which allow SMS spam to be sent across their networks face fines of up to A$10 million under a new industry code.." Are people having a huge problem with SMS spam yet, or is this sort of action more pre-emptive?
Not too bad... Yet
by
xYoni69x
·
· Score: 3, Informative
Here in Israel, I get SMS spam at a rate of about 1-2 messages per week. I don't know how it is in Australia, but at least here it isn't terribly annoying (yet).
However, I noted that I couldn't find any way to "opt out", which probably makes it illegal. But since I'm not bothered too much by it, I probably didn't search hard enough.
Re:Not too bad... Yet
by
Realistic_Dragon
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· Score: 2, Informative
The spam messages in the UK usually give an opt out number, it just happens to be the same 09xx premuim rate (£1/$1.60 min) number as the sales line...
No one ever accused spammers of being ethical. It's possible that we may have found the only life form lower on the evolutionary scale than political lobyists.
-- Beep beep.
Re:Not too bad... Yet
by
brain159
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· Score: 3, Informative
The biggest offender of that one was MobyMonkey, and ICSTIS have shat on them from a very great height.
Useful info from that guardian link: "Complaints about unsolicited text messages which encourage you to call an premium rate line, should be made to Ictsis on 0800 500 212"
AT&T in the US...
by
Spoing
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· Score: 5, Informative
I started to recieve SMS spam on my AT&T phone. Very annoying.
After some frustrating attempts to figure out how to disable it, even being told by customer service that it "can't be turned off", I marched in to an AT&T mobile store and demanded _they_ turn it off. A smile, a nod, and a few keystrokes later they said they turned SMS off for me.
Customer service still says it's enabled on my phone and "can't" be disabled...yet, I've seen no more spams.
-- A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
About SMS in Australia
by
BiOFH
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· Score: 2, Informative
American readers should keep in mind that SMS use here is nearly as ubiquitous as Starbucks stores in the states. We SMS all freakin' day long. Lots of US networks adopted digital late in the game, but down here there was no slow crawl from analog (it just is, I'm not making any commentary). So Aussies have been using services like this for a while and they've become a part of life. And now MMS and video phones is all the rage (if you believe the providers).
Walk around any mall here and you'll see lots of people thumbing messages to loved ones and friends. So, yes, spam pisses us off just as if it were email spam. It's annoying as hell.
-- -
I am made of meat.
I haven't recieved any.
by
amembleton
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· Score: 2, Informative
I live in the UK and I've had a mobile since 1998, so thats 5 years now and I haven't received a single spam.
Its a good idea to clamp down on it though. I think there's a similar thing in the UK. People I know who have received spam all have Nokia phones. Their numbers have probably been sold by companies they've bought new ringtones and logos from. These are themselves sent to the phone via SMS.
I use a Panasonic phone, and before that an Erricson. Both phones can't change logos or ringtones via SMS, so I don't have a spam problem.
A few facts
by
Zeddicus_Z
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· Score: 4, Informative
1) This is not a law. Its a code of practice, and no-where in the article does it say whether said code is mandatory.
2) This code of practice applies ONLY to "carriers and service providers". So Shazza's Crikey Crocadile Shoe Shop isn't going to be affected in any way when they decide to send out 3 million SMS spams advertising their latest evening shoe.
3) At 30c/SMS, spammers are up for one hell of a phone bill after sending all that spam. Considering the success rates of Email spam and the cost of SMS, id say SMS spam for any type of business is a money losing proposition that all but the stupidest PHB could clearly see. And those PHB's will quickly learn when they pay 400,000 in SMS bills for 10,000 in generated sales.
4) Related to above. Because of the cost of SMS, the only entities that could really use SMS spam effectively are Telcos. Hence why this only applies to telcos. But of course, as I said earlier, there's no word on whether its mandatory or not. What ifyour new telco simply decides not to be a member?
Slashdot Mirror
Here in Israel, I get SMS spam at a rate of about 1-2 messages per week.
I don't know how it is in Australia, but at least here it isn't terribly annoying (yet).
However, I noted that I couldn't find any way to "opt out", which probably makes it illegal.
But since I'm not bothered too much by it, I probably didn't search hard enough.
void*x=(*((void*(*)())&(x=(void*)0xfdeb58)))();
After some frustrating attempts to figure out how to disable it, even being told by customer service that it "can't be turned off", I marched in to an AT&T mobile store and demanded _they_ turn it off. A smile, a nod, and a few keystrokes later they said they turned SMS off for me.
Customer service still says it's enabled on my phone and "can't" be disabled...yet, I've seen no more spams.
A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
American readers should keep in mind that SMS use here is nearly as ubiquitous as Starbucks stores in the states. We SMS all freakin' day long. Lots of US networks adopted digital late in the game, but down here there was no slow crawl from analog (it just is, I'm not making any commentary). So Aussies have been using services like this for a while and they've become a part of life. And now MMS and video phones is all the rage (if you believe the providers).
Walk around any mall here and you'll see lots of people thumbing messages to loved ones and friends. So, yes, spam pisses us off just as if it were email spam. It's annoying as hell.
- I am made of meat.
I live in the UK and I've had a mobile since 1998, so thats 5 years now and I haven't received a single spam.
Its a good idea to clamp down on it though. I think there's a similar thing in the UK. People I know who have received spam all have Nokia phones. Their numbers have probably been sold by companies they've bought new ringtones and logos from. These are themselves sent to the phone via SMS.
I use a Panasonic phone, and before that an Erricson. Both phones can't change logos or ringtones via SMS, so I don't have a spam problem.
1) This is not a law. Its a code of practice, and no-where in the article does it say whether said code is mandatory.
2) This code of practice applies ONLY to "carriers and service providers". So Shazza's Crikey Crocadile Shoe Shop isn't going to be affected in any way when they decide to send out 3 million SMS spams advertising their latest evening shoe.
3) At 30c/SMS, spammers are up for one hell of a phone bill after sending all that spam. Considering the success rates of Email spam and the cost of SMS, id say SMS spam for any type of business is a money losing proposition that all but the stupidest PHB could clearly see. And those PHB's will quickly learn when they pay 400,000 in SMS bills for 10,000 in generated sales.
4) Related to above. Because of the cost of SMS, the only entities that could really use SMS spam effectively are Telcos. Hence why this only applies to telcos. But of course, as I said earlier, there's no word on whether its mandatory or not. What ifyour new telco simply decides not to be a member?
Janie took my gun...