Every South African who owns a cellphone has likely received messages advertising products that they do not want or need.
On the other hand, you also get SMSes that offer exactly what you want and need.
The only problem is there is no way of determining whether the sender is reputable or not.
In a time of increasing online scams and cybercriminal activity, we want to know exactly who sent that tantalising offer by SMS.
Now, thanks to the Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (Waspa) Codes Project, we can.
Waspa has played a key role in regulating the provision of mobile applications and services in South Africa for almost two decades.
Now, its new Codes Project will give consumers access to a platform that enables them to identify the owner of a short, long or USSD code.
According to Ilonka Badenhorst, managing executive at Waspa, unsolicited direct marketing messages may create frustration for the recipient, especially if they are unable to identify the originator of the message.
Consumers can now visit the WASPA Codes Platform – https://codes.waspa.org.za/ – and enter the number to obtain more information on the sender of the marketing message.
“This will make it easy to identify where the SMS came from, although of course, the platform will only contain information about service providers that are registered with Waspa.
“If the sender is identified, consumers will have the additional peace of mind knowing that they are communicating with a reputable player that is bound by the Waspa code of conduct,” she says.
“If the company that sent the SMS is registered with Waspa, their contact details will be provided, allowing the consumer to contact them directly to obtain more information on the originator of the message, to request to be removed from the database or to lodge a complaint.”
The Codes Project is an extension of Waspa’s Do Not Contact (DNC) initiative.
The DNC initiative is a list that consumers can add their number to, in order to avoid unsolicited SMS advertising.
“It is worth noting that the Consumer Protection Act and the Protection of Personal Information Act contain specific provisions regulating direct marketing, and that WASPA’s Code incorporates all of the requirements of these laws.
“Moreover, this Code is binding on members of Waspa and any companies sending messages via a Waspa member,” said Badenhorst.
“This means that consumers that make use of the DNC and Codes facilities can rest assured that Waspa’s members – and their clients – can only send marketing messages to them if they are already a customer or have specific permission to do so, as well as being easily identifiable as the sender,” she concludes.
IOL TECH