Like any other marketing channel, SMS messaging is held accountable to stringent industry rules and guidelines as enforced by our carriers as well as the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission). As a Line2 user, we want to familiarize you with these industry standards and guidelines to ensure you are getting the most out of your Line2 product.
What types of messages are considered prohibited?
Our SMS Policy contains detailed information on the types of messages that are prohibited. Please carefully review our policy, which is available at https://www.line2.com/sms-policy/.
In summary, the types of messages that are excluded include:
Texts sending fraud, spam or phishing/smishing messages.
Texts containing “S.H.A.F.T-C” messages
- Sex
- Hate
- Alcohol
- Firearms
- Tobacco
- Cannabis
High- risk financial services:
- Third-party lead generation services
- Debt collection of forgiveness
- “Get rich quick” schemes
- Prescription drugs
- Gambling
What role do US carriers play in Spam/ Fraud mitigation?
Restricted content can include risky financial products, affiliated marketing, gambling or S.H.A.F.T.-C. related content.
Line2 strongly recommends being familiarized with mobile carrier guidelines, existing laws and industry best practices. Please review our SMS Policy page to learn more about our limitations of use.
- Free or unbranded short links
- Links placed at the end of the message
- Naked Links
- ALL CAPS
- Special characters
- Multiple identical messages
- Long messages
- Robotic, mispelled or grammatically incorrect sentences
What are examples of regulations and guidelines that apply to text messages?
Ignoring or violating TCPA guidelines could result in the following consequences:
CTIA stands for the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. It is an association created by key stakeholders in the telecommunications industry (i.e. mobile network operators). The CTIA is not a legal authority and you cannot be sued for not following their guidelines. However there are consequences for violating their guidelines, detailed below.
Ignoring or violating CTIA guidelines can result in the following consequences:
- Being reported or flagged by mobile carriers
- Shut down or suspension of your Line2 SMS service
For more information on messaging guidelines and principles, please refer to the CTIA handbook.
A business or work user may include anyone who sends messages that are of a business nature or sends messages to multiple recipients at once. This includes SMS messages relating to sales, marketing, promotion, service appointments, and support is defined as SMS messaging between business and individuals.
Some common examples of Business/Work SMS messages:
- A logistics company sending delivery statuses and notifications.
- A dentist’s office sending one-way alerts and reminders
- A financial institution sending PIN codes to individuals either using short codes or long codes.
I'm receiving silent calls and voicemails from different numbers. Why is that?
Silent calls and silent voicemails you're receiving are part of a telecom fraud scheme called Toll Free Traffic Pumping, where fraudsters make long silent calls for revenue. Since fraudsters spoof other people's phone numbers, the calls come from various numbers. Therefore, blocking these numbers will not stop the calls from coming into your line. You do not need to record or report these calls to us in the future.
What should I do if my account is flagged for Spam?