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Aussie Regulator Comes Down On SMS Spam

Posted by timothy on from the tastes-like-long-pig dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Australian Communications and Media Authority has commenced legal proceedings in the Federal Court against several local and international companies over allegedly unsolicited SMS spam. It's the first time the regulator has used its powers under the Spam Act to pursue an alleged SMS spammer through the Courts. Other companies have been fined or committed to an 'enforceable undertaking' to avoid this type of action (although these are not without issue). Another firm accused of SMS spam accused the regulator of being overzealous after it received a formal warning. The regulator appears to have instituted a crackdown on the premium mobile content industry in recent months, culminating in this latest action."

9 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. Some basic filtering/blacklisting should be... by acon1modm · · Score: 2, Informative

    standard. I've received spam texts from about 3 sources, several per day from each, since the first day I got my phone/number.

    I think its possible to call verizon (fun), and have them blacklisted for me but from what I've heard its not even free to do so (even if it is, the customer services call probably takes 30 mins).

    If I didn't have an unlimited text plan, every spam msg would cost me. For those without such aplan, the ability block a source *from the phone* is necessary.

    1. Re:Some basic filtering/blacklisting should be... by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 3, Informative

      If I didn't have an unlimited text plan

      Unlimited text plans usually aren't. My stepdaughter's boyfriend has 'unlimited text' through Verizon, and he ended up paying per message one month. Unlimited usually means 1,000 text messages or so a month.

      --
      My blog
    2. Re:Some basic filtering/blacklisting should be... by ad0n · · Score: 2, Informative

      i've been told i could text the words "stop" to any sender and it would block.

      I am with Fido, here in Canada (Ontario).

      Of course, the "stop" message costs against my texting quota (i'm not on an unlimited package). I haven't been overrun with rogue SMS so I can't comment on whether this is an effective deterrent.

      a>

    3. Re:Some basic filtering/blacklisting should be... by mjwx · · Score: 2, Informative

      If I didn't have an unlimited text plan, every spam msg would cost me

      In Australia its the other way around, sender pays, with telephones sender always pays. I don't understand why you yanks have the receiver pays system, it seems backwards and an invite for abuse.

      Admittedly in AU, the only spam I get is from my telco, whom I have called and said in no uncertain terms "stop". They still test my patience every now and then but its down from 1 per week to 1 per quarter. Spammers likely get mobile numbers from those free "services" they advertise on TV where you only have to enter your mobile number (or send SMS to) to get content. TV studios themselves do this a lot, well they did before I stopped watching TV and Reality TV would be a big culprit (American/Australian/Crap Idol and Big Brother). It's really all because people are stupid enough to hand out their mobile numbers, it costs too much to cold call mobiles in AU.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  2. Re:Die Spammers!! by mark72005 · · Score: 2, Informative

    It doesn't cost you money to answer (and hang up on) a telemarketer. And there's a no-call list in most states that works pretty well.

    It costs me money every time someone spams me with a text message.

    Can you imagine if every spam email that came into your account cost you 10 cents?

    I hope they stop this before it becomes as bad as spam email.

  3. pay to receive calls? by BrokenHalo · · Score: 5, Informative

    For the information of Merkins out there: here in Australia, we don't pay anything to receive calls or SMSs. This only happens when we're roaming internationally, where the cost of calls can be nearly doubled as the telco slugs both caller and callee. Vodafone is a particular case in point.

    1. Re:pay to receive calls? by Skippy_kangaroo · · Score: 3, Informative

      Unless you receive a message from a premium SMS number. Then they charge you $6 a message and send multiple messages within a minute to slam high charges onto your bill.

      They supposedly need consent, but many rely on phone numbers entered into websites and general deception as ways to get 'consent'.

    2. Re:pay to receive calls? by DuranDuran · · Score: 2, Informative

      Easy there, mate. You don't see us getting out of our pram when someone calls us 'Aussies'.

      --
      "You can justify anything by putting it in quotes, adding a famous name and making it a sig" - Albert Einstein
  4. Re:Do unsolicited gifts laws apply in the us? by Bios_Hakr · · Score: 2, Informative

    I think the US is the only place where you pay for *incoming* communications. I've been in several European and Asian countries; all of them had free SMS and free incoming calls.

    --
    I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.