Mobile Commons: Compliance Glossary

Provided documentation for Compliance Glossary

Shortcode: The 5 or 6 digit phone number that organizations use to interact with end users over SMS or MMS.

Keyword: The word or name that end users text in initially to opt into a campaign, used to differentiate campaigns using the same shortcode.

Call to Action (CTA): Any content or material that asks end users  to text a keyword to a shortcode.

Short Message Service (SMS): Standardized communications protocol for mobile devices, a.k.a. a text message.

Multimedia Message Service (MMS): Standard communications protocol to send multimedia content (images, animated gifs, and video) to mobile phones.

CTIA: The Wireless Association is an industry trade group that represents the international wireless telecommunications industry. They are the industry trade group that audits calls to actions in the marketplace. They create compliance requirements and publish a handbook detailing these requirements.

CTIA Audit: If your call to action or message content is found to be non-compliant you could receive a CTIA Audit.  This will require you to correct and change your CTA or message content. The Mobile Messaging support team will help guide you through this process should you receive an audit

TCPA: The Telephone Consumer Protection Act was enacted originally by the FCC in 1991. It was passed to restrict telephone solicitations. With technological advances it’s reach was extended to SMS text messages, most notably in 2013. The TCPA requires that subscribers can opt-out at any time, that no one can receive messages without providing prior written consent and that disclosures around message and data rates applying be present and clear. 

The CTIA Short Code Handbook: This is the absolute definitive guide to all compliance requirements when using a shortcode. Please be sure to reference this as you create your initial opt-in messages and calls to action. If you need any help navigating this, or have questions after reviewing, just send your mobile strategist an email! You can find the Handbook here

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