Text messaging 💬 content guidelines

Following text messaging content related guidelines from CTIA's Messaging Principles and Best Practices should be followed while running Text campaigns on Colligso.

Section 5.3 Content 

5.3.1 Prevention of Unlawful Activities or Deceptive, Fraudulent, Unwanted, or Illicit Content

Message Senders should use reasonable efforts to prevent and combat unwanted or unlawful messaging traffic, including spam and unlawful spoofing. Specifically, Message Senders should take affirmative steps and employ tools that can monitor and prevent Unwanted Messages and content, including for example content that:

• is unlawful, harmful, abusive, malicious, misleading, harassing, excessively violent, obscene/illicit, or defamatory;
• deceives or intends to deceive (e.g., phishing messages intended to access private or confidential information);
• invades privacy;
• causes safety concerns;
• incites harm, discrimination, or violence;
• is intended to intimidate;
• includes malware;
• threatens Consumers; or
• does not meet age-gating requirements. Message Senders can also review the Common Short Code Handbook for further examples of Unwanted Message content.

Further, Message Senders should take steps to ensure that marketing content is not misleading and complies with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Truth-In-Advertising rules.

5.3.2 Embedded Website Links

Message Senders should ensure that links to websites embedded within a message do not conceal or obscure the Message Sender’s identity and are not intended to cause harm or deceive Consumers. Where a web address (i.e., Uniform Resource Locator (URL)) shortener is used, Message Senders should use a shortener with a web address and IP address(es) dedicated to the exclusive use of the Message Sender. Web addresses contained in messages as well as any websites to which they redirect should unambiguously identify the website owner (i.e., a person or legally registered business entity) and include contact information, such as a postal mailing address. 

Note: Wireless carriers are increasingly applying tools to filter out (block) messages having web address shortener. 

5.3.3 Embedded Phone Numbers

Messages should not contain phone numbers that are assigned to or forward to unpublished phone numbers, unless the owner (i.e., a person or legally registered business entity) of such phone numbers is unambiguously indicated in the text message.  

Disallowed content categories

The following content categories have been identified by 10dlc.org to be harmful or potentially deceitful to the end consumer and will not be supported on the network.   

• High-Risk Financial Services
  • Payday Loans
  • Short Term- High Interest Loans
  • Auto Loans
  • Mortgage Loans
  • Student Loans
  • Debt Collection
  • Gambling/Sweepstakes
  • Stock Alerts
  • Cryptocurrency
• Get Rich Quick Schemes
  • Deceptive Work from Home Programs
  • Risk Investment Opportunities
  • Multi-Level Marketing
• 3rd Party
  • Debt Collection or Consolidation
  • Debt Reduction
  • Credit Repair Programs
  • Lead Generation
• Controlled Substances
  • Tobacco
  • Vape
  • Federally Illegal Drugs
• Pornography
• Profanity or Hate Speech
• Phishing
• Fraud or Scams
• Deceptive Marketing 

Our upstream connectivity partners and mobile network operators (MNO) employ sophisticated tools and filters to identify and filter such content. Sending such content in your text messages would not only incur failure in delivery, but it will also incur additional cost to your business as well as a temporary or permanent suspension for your brand or campaign. Colligso does not take any responsibility for your actions. 

Reference: 

• Messaging Principles and Best Practices - CTIA
• TFN Disallowed Content by 10dlc.org